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RURAL  ARCHITECTURE: 


CONSISTING   OP 


CLASSIC  DWELLINGS, 

Jll0rtc,  Jonic,  (Eartntl)ian  anir  ®otl)ic, 

AND 

DETAILS  CONNECTED  WITH  EACH  OF  THE  ORDERS ; 

EMBRACING 

PLANS.  ELEVATIONS  PARALLEL  AND  PERSPECTIVE, 

SPECIFICATIONS,  ESTIMATES,  FRAMING,  ETC. 

FOR 

PRIVATE   HOUSES   AND   CHURCHES. 


DESIGNED   FOR  THE 


ilnitc^   States  of  America. 


By    EDWARD    SHAW,  Architect. 

AUTHOR    OF    CIVIL    AKCHI TE  CTURE,    OPERATIVE    MASONRY,  ETC. 


BOSTON: 

JAMES   B.  DOW,   PUBLISHER. 
1843. 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1843, 

BY     EDWARD     SHAW, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


WM.  A.  HALL  &  00.,  PRINTERS,  12  WATER  STREET. 


PREFACE. 


It  is  not  the  design  of  the  author  of  this  little  Treatise,  to  go  profoundly  or  minutely 
into  the  consideration  of  Architecture,  either  as  a  science  or  an  art.  This,  to  a  consid- 
erable extent,  he  has  done  in  his  larger  work  on  Civil  Architecture,  of  which  the  fourth 
and  most  complete  edition  was  published  in  1834  ;  and  to  that  work  he  would  respect- 
fully refer  those,  who  wish  to  go  into  the  study  of  the  mathematics  of  architecture, 
embracing  in  that  term  the  doctrine  of  "lights  and  shadows,"  as  well  as  to  enter  upon 
the  scientific  principles  and  practical  details  of  carpentry,  and  to  make  themselves 
acquainted  witli  a  variety  of  foliage,  flowers,  and  other  ornamental  parts  of  buildings, 
ancient  and  modern. 

In  the  present  work,  he  supposes  his  reader  already  acquainted,  at  least,  with  the 
elements  of  mathematics,  and  with  the  practical  application  of  them  to  architecture,  as 
well  as  with  the  principles  of  carpentry,  joinery,  and  masoiu'y.  And  the  object  of  the 
author  in  the  present  work  is,  chiefly,  to  lay  before  the  reader,  and  especially  the  prac- 
tical architect,  a  variety  of  plans,  elevations,  &c.,  of  edifices,  principally  dwelling-houses, 
and  places  of  public  worship,  with  such  directions  as  to  the  more  usual  details  and 
decorations,  as  his  experience,  as  a  practical  builder,  for  more  than  thirty  years,  has 
proved  useful  to  himself,  and  such  as  he,  therefore,  supposes  may  be  so  to  others.  If  they 
are  found  to  be  so,  by  his  fellow-laborers,  in  an  art  to  which  men,  in  a  civilized  state  are 
indebted  for  most  of  the  comforts,  and  for  aU  the  elegancies  in  their  own  houses,  or  in 
those  which  they  enter  for  the  worship  of  the  Most  High,  the  main  object  of  his  labors 

will  have  been  attained. 

E.  SHAW. 


51056 


CONTENTS. 


PART   I. 

HISTORY  AND  PROGRESS  OF  ARCHITECTURE. 

PART    II. 
THE  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE  DIFFERENT   STYLES  OF  ARCHITECTURE. 

The  Egyptian  Style, 

Grecian  and  Roman  Architecture, 

The  Tuscan  Order, 

The  Doric  Order, 

The  Ionic  Order, 

The  Roman,  or  Composite  Order, 

The  Corinthian  Order, 

Persians  and  Caryatides, 

Pilasters, .....•••• 

Pedestals,       ....••■••••••• 

Pediments,  ......••••••• 

Gothic  Architectiue,       .......••••• 

The  Decorated  English  Style, 

The  Perpendicular  Style, 

Architecture  of  America, 

PART    III. 

THE  ARRANGEMENT    AND  CONSTRUCTION   OF  DWELLING-HOUSES,  AND   OF 
BUILDINGS  IN  GENERAL. 


Paso 

17 
18 
23 
24 
28 
33 
34 
37 
39 
40 
40 
42 
51 
55 
59 


Doors,    ....... 

Windows, 

Chimncy-Pieces,    ..... 

Stairs, 

Grecian  Doric,  (Plates,) 
Grecian  Ionic,  (Plates,) 
Grecian   Corinthian,  (Plates,) 
Gothic,  (Plates,)  .... 

Groined  Ardics  and  Vaulting,  (Plates,) 
Church   Architecture,  (Plates,)     . 
Glossary  of  Architectural  Terms, 


66 
66 
67 
68 
70 
81 
87 
90 
93 
95 
99 


RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 


PART  I. 

HISTORY  AND   PROGRESS  OF  ARCHITECTURE. 


At  a  very  early  period,  as  might  be  expected,  architecture  had  made  some 
progress ;  for  we  are  informed  by  holy  writ,  that  Cain  "  builded  a  city,  and 
called  the  name  of  the  city  after  the  name  of  his  son,  Enoch."  *  But  we  are 
wholly  in  the  dark  as  to  the  perfection  to  whicli  it  had  attained  when  that 
awful  visitation  of  the  Almighty,  the  universal  deluge,  obliterated  almost 
every  mark  of  previous  habitation.  The  next  mention  of  it  is  in  the  account 
of  the  building  of  the  tower  of  Babel,  which  was  stopped  by  the  confusion  of 
tongues.  This  was  soon  surrounded  by  other  buildings,  and  walls  of  great 
magnitude ;  and  here,  therefore,  may  we  date  the  origin  of  postdiluvian 
architecture.  Whatever  celebrity,  however,  the  wonders  of  Babylon  attain- 
ed, among  the  ancients,  no  remains  of  them  have  come  down  to  us ;  and  it  is 
the  massive  edifices  of  Egypt,  built,  apparently,  rather  for  eternity  than  time, 
which  now  excite  our  admiration  as  the  most  ancient,  as  well  as  stupendous 
structures  existing  upon  earth.  We  must  not,  while  under  this  epoch,  omit 
to  notice  the  remains,  and,  alas !  the  only  remains,  of  Indian  and  Mexican 
greatness.      But  for  the  splendid  ruins  of  Delhi  and  Agra,  and  that  most 

*  Genesis  iv.  17. 


Library 
if.. C,  State  Collesr^ 


10  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

singular  specimen  in  the  island  of  Elephanta,  we  slioukl  scarcely  have 
known  of  tbe  existence  of  civilization  among  the  ancient  Hindoos;  and  the 
aborigines  of  Mexico  were  regarded  as  little  better  than  savages,  before  the 
lute  discoveries  of  Mr.  Bullock.  The  dates  of  these  buildings  are  wholly 
unknown ;  but  from  the  general  similarity  they  bear  to  those  of  Egypt,  it  is 
supposed  they  arc  of  equal  antiquity.  It  may  not  be  improper  here  to  ob- 
serve, that  the  latter  country  is  commonly  considered  to  have  been  peopled 
by  a  colony  from  India.  About  the  same  general  date  may  also  be  assigned 
to  the  architecture  of  the  Hebrews,  or,  as  more  properly  characterised,  the 
Phoenician  style,  the  greatest  monument  of  which  was  the  far-famed  temple 
of  Solomon.  The  description  of  this,  in  the  sacred  text,  will  be  found,  on  an 
accurate  consideration,  to  bear  great  resemblance  to  that  of  many  of  the 
Egyptian  temples.  From  the  Egyptians,  the  art,  such  as  it  was,  was  learn- 
ed by  the  Greeks;  but  under  the  protection  of  that  extraordinary  people  it 
reached  a  perfection  unheard  of  before,  and,  in  its  peculiar  style,  unequalled 
since.  The  earliest  edifices  of  Greece,  however,  were  by  no  means  remark- 
able for  beauty;  the  temples,  in  the  time  of  Homer,  being  little  better  than 
rude  huts,  sheltered,  if  sheltered  at  all,  by  branches  of  laurel  and  other  trees. 
On  the  decline  of  Greece,  and  its  conquest  by  the  Romans,  the  art  appears 
to  have  been  transferred  to  the  conquerors;  but  among  that  hardy  and  war- 
like race,  it  made  little  progress  before  the  age  of  Augustus.  Under  the 
protection  of  that  munificent  monarch,  it  rapidly  attained  to  almost  as  great 
perfection  as  in  the  favored  country  of  the  arts;  and  the  'eternal  cily ''  owes 
much  of  its  present  estimation  to  the  noble  structures  erected  by  him  and  his 
successors.  With  Rome,  however,  the  art  decayed,  and  was  overwhelmed 
in  the  general  confusion  and  oblivion  of  learning,  art,  and  science. 

The  attention  of  the  Saxons  in  Europe,  probably  about  the  eighth  century, 
was  excited  by  the  remains  of  edifices  raised  by  the  Romans  during  their 
residence  in  England.  These,  in  their  newly-erected  churches,  they  aspired 
to  imitate,  but  their  workmen,  ignorant  of  the  principles  wliich  guided  the 


HISTORY   AND   PROGRESS    OF   ARCHITECTURE.  U 

arcliitects  of  those  splendid  ruins,  produced  only  the  general  outlines  of  their 
patterns;  and  those  clumsy  forms  continued  to  be  practiced,  with  little  altera- 
tion, till  the  end  of  the  twelfth  century.  But  now,  as  the  tumult  excited  by 
the  invasion  subsided,  and  the  genius  of  the  nation  improved,  a  taste  for  the 
fine  arts  began  to  show  itself,  and  architecture  assumed  a  different  and  novel 
aspect.  Instead  of  tamely  treading  in  the  steps  of  their  predecessors,  the 
architects  of  those  times  devised  a  style  as  scientific  as  it  was  grand,  and  as 
beautiful  as  new. 

But  we  must  not,  while  eulogizing  those  who  have  adorned  their  own 
country  with  such  admirable  structures,  forget  the  merits  of  their  contempo- 
raries on  the  continent.  Of  these,  it  seems  to  be  generally  acknowledged,  that 
the  French  preceded  them  in  point  of  time,  and  the  Germans  excelled  in  the 
size  of  their  edifices ;  yet  no  one  on  comparing,  with  an  impartial  eye,  the 
several  buildings,  will  hesitate  to  allow,  that  in  purity  of  style,  variety  of 
design,  and  delicacy  of  execution,  the  English  cathedral,  and  other  churches, 
are  not  surpassed  by  those  of  any  nation  in  Europe ;  and  it  is  a  remarkable 
fact,  that  English  architects  and  workmen  were  employed  in  many  of  the 
finest  works  on  the  continent. 

We  must  now  turn  our  attention  to  Italy.  It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  the 
Gothic  style  never  came  to  so  great  perfection  in  this  country  as  in  the 
neighboring  nations.  Perhaps  this  was  owing  to  the  number  of  Roman 
buildings  remaining  amongst  them,  and  the  liberal  use  they  made  of  their 
fragments,  which  is  shown  even  in  the  finest  specimen  they  possess.  The 
Milan  cathedral  is  probably  the  purest  Gothic  building  in  all  Italy.  But  this 
is  not  built  of  fragments  of  ancient  Roman  buildings.  It  was  built  chiefly  by 
Bonaparte,  or  under  his  auspices,  and  is  of  white  marble.  It  is  not,  there- 
fore, surprising  that  the  Italians  should  be  the  first  to  reject  the  style 
altogether.  Indeed,  there  were  instances,  in  the  darkest  times,  of  recur- 
rence to  the  purest  models  of  antiquity,*  but  these  met  not  the  public  taste, 

•It  should  be  remembered  that  we  here  speak  of  Italian  Gothic. 


12  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

and  were  bom  only  lo  die.  'It  is  not,"  observes  IMr.  Bromley,  "the 
casual  and  solitary  cflbrt  of  individuals  in  a  dark  age,  wliicli  can  be 
considered  as  renovating  the  decayed  principles  of  pure  science.  Some 
minds  are  naturally  stronger  and  more  intent  on  improvement  than  others, 
and  where  such  happen,  in  some  degree,  to  break  througli  the  general  obscu- 
rity, they  only  ••^how  that  the  genuine  light  of  refinement  is  not  quite  extinct, 
thougli  tiie  age  will  be  little  or  notliing  the  better  for  those  fiiint  glimpses 
which  become  the  portion  of  one  or  two,  and  neither  attained  nor  sought  by 
others." 

To  return  to  our  subject.  The  Church  of  the  Apostles,  at  Florence,  which 
was  built  by  Charlemagne  in  A.  D.  805,  appears  to  have  been  the  first  cfTort 
to  revive  the  forgotten  architecture  of  ancient  times,  and  possessed  so  nuich 
merit,  that  Bruneleschi,  six  hundred  years  afterwards,  disdained  not  to  accept 
it  as  a  lesson  in  one  of  his  own  edifices.  Two  hundred  years  passed  away, 
and  the  Church  of  St.  Miniate,  in  the  same  illustrious  city,  momentarily  re- 
called from  its  apparent  ol)livion,  this  elegant  style.  The  same  period  again 
elapsed,  and  the  genius  of  Cimabue  arose  to  di.spel  the  mists  whic!)  had  so 
long  enveloped  the  arts  of  his  country.  His  attention,  though  principally 
devoted  lo  painting,  was,  like  that  of  most  of  the  great  artists  of  iiis  time, 
occasionally  turned  to  the  sister  arts;  and  it  was  partly  by  his  instructions 
that  Aruolphi  di  Lapo  became  the  wonder  of  the  age.  The  father  of  this 
eminent  architect,  James,  was  a  German  by  birth,  but  resided  at  Florence) 
where  he  built  tlie  convent  of  St.  Francis,  and  received  the  surname  of  I.,apo, 
from  the  citizen.s,  for  his  skill  in  architecture.  The  son,  Arnolpho,  built  the 
catlicdral  of  St.  Maria  del  Fiore,  the  largest  church  in  Christendom,  next  to 
St.  Peters.  Althougii  this  was  principally  in  the  Tedeschi  styk-,  (tlic  apjicl- 
lation  given  by  the  Italians  to  tlie  debased  (iothic  of  their  country,)  yet  so 
uncommon  was  the  skill  displayed  in  its  erection,  that  the  dome  being  left 
unfinished  by  the  death  of  the  architect,  a  century  ami  a  half  thipsed  before 
another  could  be  found  to  raise  it.     This  was  Bruneleschi,  wlu)  iliotl   in  the 


HISTORY   AND    PROGRESS   OF   ARCHITECTURE.  13 

year  1444,  and  may  be  considered  as  the  reviver  of  the  dassical  architecture. 
His  principal  work  was  the  Palazzo  Pitti,  in  his  native  city. 

It  might  have  been  exjDected  that  Rome,  which  possessed  so  many  fine 
specimens,  would  have  been  the  first  to  show  to  the  world  her  sense  of  their 
value  by  encouraging  the  imitation  of  tliem  ;  but  it  was  not  till  the  middle  of 
the  fifteenth  century  that  Pope  Nicholas  V.  manifested  the  first  symptoms  of 
reviving  taste,  by  the  encouragement  of  Leone  Baptista  Albcrti,  (the  earliest 
modern  writer  on  architecture,)  and  Bernardo  Rossilini.  These,  however, 
were  principally  employed  in  repairs,  and  the  erection  of  fountains;  and  to 
Bramante  must  we  concede  the  honor  of  being  the  first  who  materially 
adorned  this  city  by  his  designs.  With  the  then  2)ope,  the  memorable  Julius 
II.,  he  was  much  in  favor,  and  it  is  supposed  that  it  is  in  a  considerable 
degree  owning  to  this  architect,  that  that  munificent  pontiff  formed  the  resolu- 
tion of  rebuilding  tlie  cathedral  of  St.  Peter,  in  a  style  suited  to  the  import- 
ance and  magnificence  of  the  see.  In  the  lifetime  of  Bramante,  however, 
little  was  done  of  this  stupendous  work ;  for  such  was  the  conception  of  the 
architect's  colossal  imagination,  that,  although  in  its  present  state  its  section 
is  about  double  that  of  St.  Paul's,  at  London,  it  was  reduced  by  his  succes- 
sor, Balthazar  Peruzzi,  and  more  considerably  by  the  next  who  took  it  in 
hand,  Antonio  de  San  Gallo.  These  architects,  however,  while  they  exerted 
their  talents  on  paper,  proceeded  little  with  the  work,  and  it  was  left  for  the 
sublime  genius  of  Michael  Angelo  permanently  to  fix  the  design  of  this  master- 
piece of  art,  and  prince  of  Christian  churches.  The  edifice,  as  we  now  see 
it,  is  principally  his,  except  the  front,  which  is  considered  inferior  to  the 
other  parts.  This  work  completed,  the  example  thus  set  by  its  principal 
cities  was  quickly  followed  in  all  parts  of  Italy,  which  thus  gave  employ- 
ment to  the  talents  of  Pirro  Sigorio,  Vignola,  Domenico,  Fontana,  Michael 
San  Michael,  Falconetti,  Serlio,  Barbaro,  Scamozzi,  and  Palladio. 

The  pure  taste  which  characterised  most  of  these  architects,  however,  was 
not  of  long  duration.     The  celebrated  artist,  Bernini,  was  one  of  the  first 


14  RURAL   ARCHITECTURE. 

wlio  violated  their  precepts.  He  was  educated  at  Kome  as  an  architect  and 
sculptor,  and  it  is  related  of  him,  that,  returning  to  his  native  city  late  in  life, 
with  a  fortune,  the  product  of  his  talents,  he  was  much  struck  with  some  of 
his  early  works  of  the  school  of  Michael  Angelo  and  Palladio.  He  could  not 
but  contrast  their  elegance  with  the  alTected  graces  of  the  style  he  had  given 
into;  "but,"  exclaimed  he,  "had  I  continued  in  this  manner,  I  should  not 
have  been  what  I  am  now."  Contemporary  with  Bernini  was  Borromini, 
who  was  yet  more  depraved,  and  Avas  so  jealous  of  the  former's  fame,  that 
he  stabbed  himself.     After  the.se,  Italy  cannot  boast  of  any  great  architects. 

We  must  now  return  to  England,  as  more  interesting  in  its  inhabitants, 
and,  indeed,  of  more  importance  in  our  history,  than  France,  or  the  other 
nations  of  Europe. 

From  the  time  of  Edward  III.,  there  was  a  visible  decline  in  the  style  of 
English  architecture,  which  lost  itself  in  a  profusion  of  ornaments  ;  more 
attention  being  paid  to  the  details,  than  to  the  general  form  of  the  buildings. 

By  the  time  of  Henry  VIII.,  this  increased  to  a  great  extent,  and  the 
chapel  erected  by  his  father  at  Westminster,  was  one  of  the  last  buildings 
which  showed  any  taste  in  the  style.  This  depraved  manner  naturally 
excited  disgust  in  the  minds  of  those  persons  who  had  seen  the  purer  style 
then  prevailing  in  Italy,  which,  as  might  be  expected,  they  endeavored  to 
introduce.  The  nation,  however,  had  been  too  long  accustomed  to  the 
Gothic,  readily  to  surrender  it,  and  during  the  reigns  of  Elizabeth  and 
James,  the  mixture  of,  or  compromise  between  these  styles,  produced  a  most 
barbarous  result.  But  this  could  not  last  long;  the  prejudices  of  the  people, 
in  tiu'  course  of  time,  gave  way,  and  Italian  architecture,  in  all  its  purity, 
was  first  executed  in  this  country  by  Inigo  Jones.  This  father  of  modern 
English  architecture  was  born  about  1572,  and  died  in  1652.  At  the  ex- 
pense either  of  the  Earl  of  Pembroke,  or  the  Earl  of  Arundel,  he  travelled 
into  Italy,  and  from  the  sight  of  the  elegant  buildings  in  that  country,  both 
of  ancient  and  modern  erection,  he  imbibed  a  taste  for  architecture,  which 


HISTORY   AND    PROGRESS    OF   ARCHITECTURE.  15 

he  put  in  practice,  with  great  success,  on  liis  return  to  England.  His  first 
work,  in  that  country,  was  the  interior  of  the  church  of  St.  Catherine  Cree, 
in  London,  and  his  most  considerable  design,  the  projected  palace  of  White- 
hall, the  part  of  which  that  is  executed,  the  banqueting-house,  being  barely 
one  fiftieth  part  of  that  magnificent  idea.  After  the  death  of  Jones,  no  con- 
siderable architect  appeared,  till  the  talents  of  Sir  Christopher  Wren  (before 
that  time  devoted  to  philosophy  and  general  learning)  were  called  to  the 
aid  of  the  languishing  art.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1632,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  ninety-one,  in  1723,  after  being,  in  his  eighty-sixth  year,  barbarously 
dismissed  from  the  office  of  surveyor-general,  which  he  had  held  with  unpar- 
alleled ability  fifty-one  years.  When  that  temporalily  disastrous,  yet  perma- 
nently useful  event,  the  fire  of  London,  occurred,  this  great  man  was  almost 
solely  employed  in  rebuilding  the  numerous  public  edifices,  destroyed  by  the 
conflagration,  and  chiefly  the  cathedral  of  St.  Paul,  his  execution  of  which 
arduous  task,  whatever  be  the  objections  raised  against  parts  of  it,  by  the 
taste  of  some,  and  the  jealousy  of  others,  remains  a  lasting  monument  of  his 
genius  in  decorative,  and  unexampled  skill  in  constructive  architecture. 

Before  the  death  of  Wren,  appeared  Sir  John  Vanbrugh,  who  was  em- 
ployed by  the  nation  to  erect  that  monument  of  national  gratitude,  Blenheim 
House.  Both  the  architect,  and  this,  his  greatest  work,  were  alternately 
neglected  and  censured,  till  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  vindicated  his  fame  in  his 
lectures  to  the  royal  academy.  Next  in  order  were  Hawksmoor,  the  pupil 
of  Wren,  Lord  Burlington,  Kent,  and  Gibbs,  of  the  last  of  whom,  Mr.  Mitford 
observes,  that,  allowing  his  talents  to  be  small,  how  much  do  we  owe  to 
Lord  Burlington,  that  by  his  precepts  such  a  man  was  enabled  to  build  one 
of  the  finest  modern  works,  St.  Martin's  Church  in  the  Fields.  To  Lord 
Burlington,  indeed,  it  is  probable  we  owe  more  than  is  generally  acknowl- 
edged; for,  besides  the  patronage  he  afforded  to  the  artists  of  his  time,  and 
the  assistance  he  gave  them  from  his  own  genius,  it  is,  perhaps,  owing  to  his 
example,  that  a  general  feeling  of  attachment  to  the  arts  was  conceived  by 


IQ  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

the  young  men  of  rank  and  fortune  in  England.  Tlie  Turkish  government, 
which,  in  its  prosperity,  ruled  with  a  rod  of  iron  the  once  fertile  plains  of 
Greece,  began  now,  in  its  decline,  to  rela.K  a  little  of  its  ancient  rigor,  and 
these  gentlemen  were  thus  enabled  to  extend  their  travels  (which  before 
were  bounded  by  the  Arciiipelago)  into  this  important  country.  Some  of 
them  formed,  at  their  return,  (he  Dikttanti  Society,  for  the  encouragement 
of  researches  into  those  (to  modern  times)  new  regions.  Tiiese  proceedings 
could  not  but  excite  great  interest  and  curiosity  in  the  public  mind,  which 
were  fully  gratified,  after  some  years,  by  Mr.  Stuart ;  who,  during  a  long 
residence  at  Athens,  made  accurate  drawings  of  most  of  the  ancient  build- 
ings then  existing.  These  were  published  in  three  volumes,  folio,  to  which 
a  fourth  was  afterwards  added  by  Mr.  Revely.  The  effect  of  these  importa- 
tions may  be  seen  in  every  street  in  London. 

The  revival  of  the  neglected  architecture  of  the  middle  ages,  constitutes  a 
new  era  in  our  history.  Perhaps  the  first  person  who  dared  to  recommend, 
by  writing  and  example,  a  style  so  long  in  disrepute,  was  the  celebrated 
Horace  Walpole,  Earl  of  Orford,  who  built  the  well-known  villa  of 
Strawberry  Hill,  to  testify  his  fondness  for  it.  Tliis  was  succeeded  by  Lee 
Priory,  by  Mr.  Wyatt,  who  quickly  outstripped  all  the  professors  of  his  day, 
both  in  this  style  and  the  Koman.  His  greatest  work,  in  Gothic  architec- 
ture, was  Fonthill  Abbey,  the  merits  of  which  l)uilding,  when  we  consider 
that  the  architect  had  no  model  to  work  from,  (there  being  not  another 
house  of  magnitude,  in  this  style,  in  the  whole  kingdom,)  are  truly  extraordi- 
nary; the  purest  taste  reigns  throughout  the  whole  of  this  splendid  struc- 
ture, and  the  architect  has  bequeathed  to  succeeding  professors  a  legacy  of 
incalculable  value. 

Having  now  brought  our  sketch  down  to  the  present  time,  we  shall  pro- 
ceed to  the  second  part  of  our  design. 


THE   CHARACTERISTICS   OF  THE   DIFFERENT  STYLES. 


PART  II. 

THE   CHARACTERISTICS   OF   THE   DIFFERENT  STYLES  OF 
ARCHITECTURE. 

With  Assyrian  architecture,  as  was  before  observed,  we  are  acquainted 
only  by  vague  and  uncertain  report;  we  will,  therefore,  commence  by  the 
description  of 

Did  we  not  know  it  to  be  a  fact,  we  have  every  reason  to  believe,  that,  in 
the  early  ages  of  the  world,  stability  was  the  first  consideration.  That  men 
by  nature  are  in  a  state  of  great  inequality,  is  a  truth  which  no  rational  per- 
son would  be  inclined  to  controvert.  Some  are  weak,  and  some  strong ;  and 
others  have  great  powers  of  mind;  to  these,  those  incapable  of  defending 
themselves  would  naturally  apply  for  protection  against  their  more  powerful 
neighbors,  and  hence  the  origin  of  civilized  society.  But  it  is  enough  for  our 
present  purpose,  that,  from  this  combination,  proceeded  the  subject  of  our 
inquiry.  Under  these  hands,  as  was  before  observed,  massive  strength 
would  be  more  attended  to,  than  form  or  adornment.  But  we  do  not  mean 
to  insinuate,  that  the  buildings,  now  to  be  considered,  are  exactly  of  this 
class  ;  mighty  and  ponderous  they  are,  but  (excepting  the  pyramids,  which 
did  not  admit  of  it)  not  destitute  of  decoration;  and  some  may  even  be  said 
to  possess  a  degree  of  elegance. 

It  may  probably  be  expected,  that  in  delineating  the  peculiarities  of  the 
architecture  of  Egypt,  we  should  begin  with  the  pyramids,  as  most  readily 
presenting  themselves  to  the  generality  of  readers.     Little  description,  how- 


18  RURAL   ARCHITECTURE. 

ever,  will  suffice,  to  give  an  idea  of  these  stupendous  inonuinents.  The 
largest  of  them  stands  not  far  from  the  city  of  Cairo  ;  it  is  built  on  a 
rock ;  its  base  is  scjuaro,  and  its  sides  are  equilateral  triangles,  excej)!  that 
there  is  a  platform  at  top  of  about  sixteen  feet  square,  which,  comparatively, 
is  so  small,  that  it  is  said  not  to  be  discernible  from  below.  The  stones,  of 
which  it  is  composed,  are  of  a  prodigious  size,  the  least  of  them  thirty  feet  in 
length.  These  are  disposed  so  as  to  present  a  series  of  steps  on  the 
exterior.  But  though  we  have  thus  thought  fit  to  give  a  brief  descrip- 
tion of  these  mysterious  and  mighty  monuments,  it  is  not  the  pyramids 
that  characterize  the  Egyptian  style  of  architecture.  Its  distinguishing 
marks  are  to  be  found  in  the  numerous  te.mples  dispersed  through  the 
country. 

As  we  know  of  no  proportions  attended  to,  in  the  construction  of  these 
edifices,  and  have  no  means  whereby  to  judge  of  their  respective  dates  but 
by  their  richness  or  simplicity,  (qualities  which,  though  they  may  be  some 
general  guides,  are  not  alone  sufficient  data  from  Avhich  to  form  a  chronologi- 
cal classification  of  edifices.)  we  can  have  little  more  to  say  under  this  head, 
than  to  refer  tlic  reader,  who  may  wi.sh  to  make  himself  acquainted  with 
tills  style,  to  the  work  of  Denon,  where  he  will  find  accurate  delineations  of 
the  principal  specimens.  We  cannot  quit  the  subject,  however,  without 
remarking  the  great  variety  and  beauty  of  the  capitals,  in  the  elegant  forms 
of  some  of  which,  borrowed  from  the  palm-tree  and  the  lotus,  is  found  a 
far  more  probable  origin  for  the  Corinthian  capital  of  the  Greeks  and  Ro- 
mans, than  in  the  pleasing,  yet  probably  fictitious  story  of  Vitruvius. 

Grecian  auti  Uomau  ^vcl)itcctiivc. 

The  architecture  of  the  Romans  having  been  almost  entirely  borrowed 
from  that  of  their  masters  in  art,  though  subjects  in  dominion,  the  Greeks, 
we   shall,  for  greater  clearness   and  brevity,  consider  them  together.     The 


GRECIAN  AND  ROMAN  ARCHITECTURE.  19 

various  parts,  of  which  both  Greek  and  Roman  orders  are  composed,  (the 
distinguishing  members  excepted,)  being  nearly  the  same  in  all  of  them,  we 
shall  commence  by  a  description  of  these.  And  first,  the  greater  members, 
■which  all  possess  in  common.  On  referring  to  plate  33,  fig.  3,  it  will  be  seen, 
that  we  have  marked  letters,  answering  to  dotted  lines,  proceeding  from  the 
order  to  the  right  hand. 

Of  these,  the  upper  division,  a  is  the  cornice,  h  the  frieze,  and  c  the  archi- 
trave;  these  form  the  horizontal  part  of  the  order,  and  are  called  the  entab- 
lature; d  is  the  capital,  e  the  shaft,  and/ the  base;  these  together  form  the 
COLUMN,  or  upright,  supporting  part.  The  column  is  usually  placed  on  a 
square  tile,  called  the  plinth.  These,  according  to  the  variation  of  their  parts, 
form  what  are  called  the  orders  of  Greek  and  Roman  architecture,  which 
will  be  presently  the  subject  of  our  consideration. 

The  prototype  of  this  arrangement,  is  supposed  by  Vitruvius,  and  a  host  of 
followers,  to  be  the  wooden  hut,  of  which  we  find  the  following  account  in 
Sir  William  Chambers  :  "  Having  marked  out  the  space  to  be  occupied  by  the 
hut,  they  fixed  in  the  ground  several  upright  trunks  of  trees,  &c.,  to  form  the 
sides,  filling  the  intervals  between  them  with  branches  closely  interwoven, 
and  spread  over  with  clay.  The  sides  thus  completed,  four  beams  were  laid 
on  the  upright  trunks,  which  being  well  fastened  together  at  the  angles  of 
their  junction,  kept  the  sides  firm,  and  likewise  served  to  support  the  cover- 
ing or  roof  of  the  building,  composed  of  smaller  trees,  placed  horizontally, 
like  joist,  upon  which  were  laid  several  beds  of  reeds,  leaves,  and  earth  or 
clay. 

"  By  degrees,  other  improvements  took  place,  and  means  were  found  to 
make  the  fabric  lasting,  neat,  and  handsome,  as  well  as  convenient.  The 
bark  and  other  protuberances  were  taken  from  the  trees  that  formed  the 
sides;  these  trees  were  raised  above  the  dirt  and  humidity  on  stones,  were 
covered  at  the  top  with  other  stones,  and  firmly  bound  round  at  both  ends 
with  osiers  or  cords,  to  secure  them  from  .splitting.     The  spaces  between 


20  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

llie  joists  were  closed  up  with  clay  or  wax,  and  the  ends  of  thcni  either 
smoothed  or  covered  with  boards.  The  difTerent  beds  of  materials  that  com- 
posed the  covering  were  cut  straight  at  the  caves,  and  distinguished  from 
each  otiier  by  dilTerent  projections.  The  I'orm  of  the  roof,  too,  was  altered ; 
for,  being  on  account  of  its  flatness,  unfit  to  throw  off  the  rains,  which  some- 
times fell  in  great  al)undaiice,  it  was  raised  in  the  middle  on  trees,  disposed 
like  rafters,  after  the  form  of  a  gable  roof 

'■  This  construction,  simple  as  it  appears,  probably  gave  birth  to  most  of 
the  parts  that  now  adorn  our  buildings;  particularly,  to  the  orders  which 
may  be  considered  as  the  basis  of  the  whole  decorative  part  of  architecture; 
for  when  structures  of  wood  were  set  aside,  and  men  began  to  erect  solid, 
stately  edifices  of  stone,  having  nothing  nearer  to  imitate,  they  naturally 
copied  the  parts  which  necessity  introduced  in  the  primitive  hut,  insomuch 
that  the  upright  trees,  with  the  stones  and  cordage  at  each  end  of  them, 
were  the  origin  of  columns,  bases,  and  capitals  ;  the  beams  and  joists  gave 
rise  to  architraves  and  friezes,  with  their  triglyplis  and  metopes;  and  the 
gable  roof  was  the  origin  of  pediments;  as  the  beds  of  materials  forming  the 
covering,  and  the  rafters  supporting  them,  were  of  cornices  witii  their  corona, 
their  nmtules,  moilillions,  and  their  dentils'?" 

Such  is  the  account,  which  has  been  transmitted  to  us  of  the  origin  of  these 
orders ;  and  it  has  sulficed  for,  and  been  unhesitatingly  received  by  all,  or 
the  greater  part  of  our  forefathers ;  but  the  restless  scepticism  of  modern  times 
has  not  spared  even  this  venerable  and  harmless  notion.  It  is  alleged,  that 
it  is  very  improbable  that  stone  should  have  been  the  immediate  successor  of 
wood,  as  a  building  material ;  the  working  of  this  substance  of  itself,  being 
no  small  acquirement,  and  not  consistent  with  the  rudeness  of  the  times; 
the  employment  of  brick  most  probably  intervened,  and  this  was  actually 
used  at  the  tower  of  Babel.  That  the  Greeks  derived  their  knowledge  of 
this  art  from  ICgypt,  is  generally  allowed;  but  in  the  large  hoUowctl  crown 
uiouUliiig.s  and  flat  roofs  of  the  temples  of  that  country,  little  resemblance  is 


GRECIAN  AND  ROMAN  ARCHITECTURE.  21 

found  to  this  model.  Another  objection  to  this  hypothesis  will  be  found  in 
the  description  of  the  Doric  order,  where  it  will  be  better  introduced  and 
understood,  than  in  this  place. 

The  Roman  ovolo  and  cavetto  are  never  found  in  the  Grecian  architec- 
ture, nor  the  Greek  echinus  in  that  of  the  Romans ;  the  rest  they  possess  in 
common.  The  Greek  mouldings  are  chiefly  distinguished  from  the  Roman, 
by  being  composed  of  ellipses,  and  other  conic  sections,  while  the  Roman 
are  formed  of  segments  of  circles.  The  Greek  echinus  and  cyma-reversa, 
are  also,  for  the  most  part,  quirked ;  that  is,  the  contour  is  returned  under  the 
fillet  above,  as  is  shown  in  the  Grecian  echinus.  In  some  early  specimens 
of  the  Doric  order,  a  straight  line  is  used  instead  of  the  curve,  for  the  echinus, 
as  in  the  capital  of  the  portico  of  Philip,  in  the  island  of  Delos. 

When  the  projection  of  these  mouldings  is  required  to  be  greater  or  less 
than  usual,  (which  is  sometimes  the  case  from  peculiarity  of  situations.)  the 
best  method  of  overcoming  the  difficulty  is,  to  make  them  of  segments  of 
ellipses,  by  which  means  it  is  evident  any  required  projection  may  be  obtain- 
ed, and  the  shadows  will  be  such  as  not  readily  to  discover  the  defect.  In 
places  where  the  composition  is  unusually  higher  or  lower  than  the  eye,  it  is 
sometimes  necessary  to  deviate  from  the  customary  manner  of  executing  the 
mouldings,  to  make  them  appear  of  their  proper  forms.  It  is  very  rarely, 
however,  that  an  expedient  of  this  kind  is  necessary,  and  it  should  never  be 
resorted  to ;  but  when  it  is,  the  forms,  when  closely  examined,  are  very  un- 
pleasing. 

All  the  mouldings,  except  the  fillet,  admit  of  decoration  ;  but,  even  in  the 
most  enriched  profile,  it  is  proper  to  leave  some  uncarved,  to  prevent  confu- 
sion, and  give  a  due  repose  to  the  composition.  It  is  a  fundamental  rule  in 
the  sculpture  of  mouldings,  to  cut  the  ornaments  out  of  the  contour,  beyond 
which  nothing  should  project,  as  this  would  inevitably  alter  its  figure. 
The  fillet  may  be  used  at  all  heights,  and  in  most  situations.  The  torus 
only  in  bases.     The  scotia  below  the  eye,  and  between  the  fillets  attached 


22  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

to  the  torus.  Tlie  echinus  only  above  the  eye,  and  is  fit  for  supports. 
The  inverted  cyina  is  also  used  as  a  supporting  member.  The  cyma-rccta 
and  cavetlo  are  only  fit  for  crowning  mouldings,  fur  which  their  forms  are 
peculiarly  adapted,  being  incapable  of  holding  water,  which  must  necessa- 
rily drop  from  their  extreme  points. 

Having  thus  presented  the  reader  with  the  key  to  our  future  language,  we 
proceed  to  the  description  of  the  orders. 

The  orders  of  architecture  are  strictly  three,  the  Doric,  the  Ionic,  and  the 
Corinthian  ;  and  are  found  in  the  greatest  perfection  in  Greece.  But  the 
Romans,  determined  to  produce  novelty  at  the  expense  of  excellence,  formed 
out  of  tlie  first  of  these,  two  new  orders,  one  of  which  they  denominated  the 
Tuscan,  and  the  other,  though  very  dissimilar  to  the  ancient  order  of  that 
name,  they  likewi.se  called  the  Doric.  The  Ionic  they  altered  less,  but  that, 
likewise,  was  decidedly  for  the  worse,  considering  the  orders  for  the  tem- 
ples of  Minerva  Polias,  and  Ilyssus,  as  the  standard  of  Grecian  art.  The 
Corinthian,  they  must  be  allowed  to  have  improved,  but  formed  a  variation 
of  it,  frequently  seen  in  the  Roman  buildings,  particularly  in  the  triumphal 
arches,  which  has  been  erected  by  the  moderns  into  a  fifth  order,  under  the 
name  of  Roman,  or  Composite.  The  difference  between  this  and  the  Corin- 
thian, however,  is  nuich  less  than  between  the  Greek  and  Roman  Doric. 

Before  we  give  the  orders  in  detail,  it  w  ill  be  necessary  to  observe,  that 
colunms  are  tapered  in  their  shafts;  that  is,  the  circumference  of  (he  shaft  at 
the  capital  is  less  than  it  is  at  the  base,  thus  making  a  frustum  of  a  cone; 
but  in  most,  or  all  of  the  ancient  examples,  the  line,  instead  of  being  perfect- 
ly straight,  is  slightly  curved.  Sometimes  the  shaft  is  continued  from  the 
base,  cylindrically,  to  about  a  (punier  or  third  of  its  height,  and  then 
diminished  rectilinearly  to  the  top.  This  is  called  oilusis;  and  in  all  the  ex- 
amples of  antiquity,  is  so  slight  as  to  be  scarcely  perceptible.  Vitruvius, 
having  obscurely  hinted  at  the  practice,  several  of  the  modern  Italian  artists, 
intending  to  conform  to  his  precept,  but  not  perceiving  the  result  in  the  orig- 


THE  TUSCAN  ORDEK.  23 

inals,  carried  it  to  an  absurd  excess,  and  made  the  thickness  greater  at  the 
middle  than  at  the  foot  of  the  shaft. 

^[)t  ^U0can  dIDrbcr. 

The  Tuscan  order,  as  an  antique,  exists  only  in  the  works  of  Vitruvius ; 
the  description  in  which,  being  very  obscure,  has  left  a  wide  field  for  the  in- 
genuity of  modern  arcliitects.  Among  these,  Palladio  composed  two  profiles, 
one  from  the  description  of  the  ancient  master,  and  the  other  according  to 
his  own  idea  of  a  simplification  of  the  Doric.  That  of  Vignola,  however, 
has  been  most  generally  approved  and  adopted. 

The  base  of  this  order  consists  of  a  simple  torus,  with  its  fillet ;  it  is,  as 
are  in  general  all  the  Roman  orders,  accompanied  with  a  plinth.  The  pro- 
portions, from  Sir  William  Chambers,  are  as  follows:  the  column,  fourteen-^ 
modules ;  the  entablature,  three  modules,  fifteen  minutes.  Of  the  former, 
the  base  occupies  one  module;  the  shaft,  including  the  astragal,  which 
divides  it  from  the  capital,  twelve  modules,  and  the  capital,  one.  Of  the 
latter,  the  architrave,  including  the  fillet,  thirty-one  minutes  and  a  half; 
the  frieze,  the  same;  and  the  cornice,  forty-two  minutes,  The  intercolum- 
niations,  in  all  the  orders  except  the  Doric,  are  the  same,  namely  :  the 
eustyle,  which  is  most  common  and  beautiful,  four  modules,  twenty  minutes ; 
the  diastyle,  six  modules ;  and  areeostyle,  seven  modules. 

The  Tuscan  order  admits  of  no  ornaments,  nor  flutes  in  the  columns;  on 
the  contrary,  rustic  cinctures  are  sometimes  represented  on  the  shaft  of  its 
column.  But  this  practice,  though  occasionally  used  by  good  architects,  is 
seldom  compatible  with  good  taste. 

Tills  order  may  be  employed  in  most  cases  where  strength  and  simplicity 
are  required,  rather  than  magnificence ;  such  as  prisons,  market-places,  arse- 
nals, and  the  inferior  parts  of  large  buildings. 


24  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

iL\)c  Done  (Ovbcr. 

This  order,  of  wiiicli  numerous  ancient  examples  exist,  will,  in  conse- 
quence, furnish  us  with  more  materials  for  description  tlian  the  preceding. 
We  will  commence  with  the  story  of  its  origin,  as  given  by  Yitruvius. 

"  Dorus,  son  of  Hellcn  and  the  nymph  Orseis,  reigned  over  Achaia  and 
Peloponnesus.  He  built  a  temple  of  this  order,  on  a  spot  sacred  to  Juno,  at 
Argos,  an  ancient  city.  Many  temples,  similar  to  it,  were  afterwards  raised 
in  other  parts  of  Achaia,  though  at  that  time  its  proportions  were  not  pre- 
cisely establislied."  This  account,  as  well  as  of  those  of  the  orders  which 
we  shall  pre.sently  examine,  is  very  incredible,  and  is  now  generally  rejected. 

From  theory,  however,  we  must  now  proceed  to  fact  and  description,  and 
will  commence  with  the  Doric  of  the  Greeks,  referred  to  by  Vitruvius,  who, 
nevertheless,  confounds  tliis  with  what  was  connnonly  executed  at  Rome  in 
his  time.  The  most  perfect  example  of  this  order  is  the  Parthenon,  or  Tem- 
ple of  Minerva,  on  the  Acropolis  at  Athens,  erected  by  Ictinus,  under  the  ad- 
ministration of  Pericles,  who  lived  B.  C.  450.  We  shall  therefore  now  give  its 
proportions.  The  column,  (including  the  capital,)  ten  module.^,  twenty-seven 
minutes  and  one  half;  the  whole  entablature,  three  modules,  twenty-seven 
minutes  and  three  quarters;  the  capital,  twenty-seven  minutes  and  three 
quarters;  the  architrave,  (with  its  fillet,)  one  module,  twelve  minutes  and 
three  quarters;  the  frieze,  to  the  square  member  of  the  corona,  one  module, 
nineteen  minutes;  and  tlie  cornice,  twenty-six  minutes.  Diameter  of  the 
column  at  the  top,  one  module,  sixteen  minutes. 

Through  the  politeness  of  the  Rev.  John  Pierpont,  I  Jiave  received  the  fol- 
lowing note,  which  may  be  of  consequence  to  the  reader  in  ascertaining  the 

magnitude  of  this  edifice. 

Boston,  June  10,  1843. 
My  dear  Sir : 

In  compliance  with  your  request,  I  here  send  you  the  dimensions  of  the  different  parts  of 

the  columns  of  that  most  cvquisite  of  all  the  specimens  of  the  Doric  architecture — the  Parthenon — 


Library 
W.  C,  State  Cor  h; 


THE   DORIC  ORDER.  25 

from  my  own  careful  measurement,  in  April,  1836.     I  give  the  dimensions,  not  in  modules  and 
minutes,  but  in  Englisli  feet  and  inches. 

Diameter  of  the  column  at  base, 6  feet,  2  inches. 

Width  of  the  flutings  at  base, HM  " 

"         "  "       at  the  top, 9^     " 

Thickness  of  abacus, 1     "      1^^  " 

Projection  of  the  abacus  beyond  the  echinus, f    " 

From  the  bottom  of  the  abacus  to  the  upper  annulet,  measured  on  the 

slope  of  the  echinus, 1     "      If     " 

The  four  annulets  occupy 2J     " 

Each  annulet,         -f^ 

From  bottom  of  the  lower  annulet  to  the  bottom  of  the  capital,  that  is,  to 

the  groove  into  the  upper  part  of  the  fluting, ^I     " 

Height  of  whole  capital,       2     "      9^     " 

Horizontal  distance  from  the  lower  annulet,  to  a  perpendicular  dropped 

from  the  face  of  abacus, 8       " 

Angle  formed  by  a  perpendicular,  and  the  upward  line  of  the  echinus, 

considered  as  a  right  line, 37^  degrees. 

Angle  formed  by  the  pitch  of  the  roof,  and  a  horizontal  line,  at  the  eaves,  13  " 

This  angle,  according  to  Col.  Leake,  is 15 J        " 

I  have  some  confidence,  however,  in  my  measurement ;  for  I  measured  the  angle  on  two  different 
days,  once  mechanically,  and  once  mathematically,  by  proportionate  numbers. 

The  height  of  the  columns  of  the  Parthenon,  according  to  Col.  Leake,  is  ...     .       34  feet. 

Height  of  the  whole  temple, 65    " 

Length  of  the  same, 228    " 

Breadth, 102    " 

I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

JOHN  PIERPONT. 

Mr.  Edward  Shaw. 

I  proceed  to   the   order  designated  by  this  title  by  the  Romans.      Very 

few  ancient  examples  of  this  variation  exist.     The  most  perfect  is  that  of 

the   Theatre    of   Marcellus,   if,   perhaps,   we   except   that    elaborate    pile, 
4 


26  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Trajan's  column,  which  is  generally  pronounced  to  be  Tuscan.  It  is,  there- 
fore, principally  indebted  for  its  existence  to  the  modern  Italian  architects, 
who,  having  little  of  antiquity  before  their  eyes,  appear  to  have  bestowed 
more  attention  upon  this  order  than  the  others;  and  it  must  be  confessed 
that  they  have  made  of  it  a  very  elegant  design,  though,  as  before  observed, 
essentially  different  from  the  original  and  true  Doric.  The  measures,  from 
Sir  William  Chambers,  are  as  follows:  the  base,  thirty  minutes;  the  shaft, 
thirteen  modules,  twenty-eight  minutes;  and  the  capital,  thirty-two  minutes; 
the  architrave,  thirty  minutes;  the  frieze,  to  capital  of  triglyph,  forty-two 
minutes;  and  cornice,  forty-five  minutes.  Upper  diameter  of  colunm,  fifty 
minutes. 

In  no  example  of  antiquity  is  the  Doric  colunm  provided  with  a  base.  I 
am  inclined  to  think,  either  the  architects  had  not  yet  thought  of  employing 
bases  to  their  columns,  or  that  they  omitted  them,  in  order  to  leave  the 
pavement  clear,  as  the  architects  of  those  times  frequently  placed  their 
columns  very  near  each  other;  so,  had  they  been  made  with  bases,  the  pas- 
sage between  them  would  have  been  extremely  narrow  and  inconvenient; 
however,  the  Romans  have  introduced  the  attic  base,  which  is  common  to  all 
of  the  orders  except  the  Tuscan,  though  it  more  properly  belongs  to  the 
Ionic.  This  base  has  two  tori,  a  scotia  and  two  fillets  between  them  ;  above 
the  upper  torus  is  an  inverted  cavetto  and  fillet  properly  belonging  to  the 
shaft  of  the  column,  as  is  also  that  under  the  capital;  for  which  reason  they 
are  commonly  considered  as  belonging  to  the  shaft.  The  plinth  or  square 
member  beneath  the  base  is  usually  considered  indispensable  in  Roman 
architecture,  although  Palladio  has  omitted  it  in  his  Corinthian  order;  but  it 
is  scarcely  found  in  the  Creek  specimens.  The  intercolunniiation  takes  from 
this  style,  in  no  small  degree,  the  imposing  grandeur  which  is  so  character- 
istic of  the  (irecian  style.  The  most  striking  peculiarity  of  the  Doric  order 
is  the  trigly|)li,  which  admits  of  the  idea  of  the  beams  being  placed  trans- 
versely on  the  architrave,  which  more  conforms  to  CJrecian  exanqiles;  hence. 


THE    DORIC   ORDER.  27 

the  angles  are  supplied  with  a  beam  forming  the  flanks;  but  this  will  not 
hold  good  in  the  Roman  examples,  where  the  beams  at  the  angles  are  placed 
over  the  centre  of  the  column,  which  leaves  the  wall  destitute  of  a  beam  to 
support  the  roof.  The  triglyph  is  surmounted  by  the  mutule,  in  the  Greek, 
and,  in  some  Roman  examples,  inclined,  but  in  most  modern  profiles,  hori- 
zontal ;  on  its  soffit  are  represented  gutt*,  or  drops.  The  spaces  between 
the  triglyphs,  on  the  frieze,  are  called  metopes,  which,  in  the  modern  Doric, 
are  invariably  perfectly  square,  and  generally  enriched  with  sculptures. 
A  part  of  the  ornamented  metopes  of  the  Parthenon  were  brought  to  Eng- 
land by  Lord  Elgin,  and  now  form  the  principal  attraction  in  the  collection 
which  is  known  by  his  name,  in  the  British  Museum.  In  the  modern  order, 
these  sculptures  are  most  commonly  an  alternate  bull's  skull  and  patera. 
The  extreme  projection  of  all  these  ornaments  should  be  less  than  that  of 
the  triglyph  itself,  thus  keeping  a  due  subordination  between  mere  decora- 
tions and  essential  parts.  All  the  Grecian  Doric  columns  are  fluted,*  and,  in 
both  Greek  and  Roman,  this  is  performed  without  fillets  between,  as  in  the 
other  orders. 

The  intercolumniations  in  this  order  differ  from  those  of  the  others,  on 
account  of  the  triglyph,  the  metopes  being  required  to  be  exactly  square. 
They  are  as  follows:  the  coupled  columns,  of  course,  must  stand  under  ad- 
joining triglyphs;  this  makes  their  distance,  at  the  foot  of  the  shaft,  twenty- 
one  minutes.  The  next  intercolumniation  is  the  monotriglyph,  which  has 
one  between  the  columns ;  the  distance  is  three  modules.  The  diastyle, — 
two  triglyphs,  five  modules  and  a  half  The  arseostyle,  which  has  three 
between,  eight  modules.  This  last  is  a  size  which  should  never  be  resorted 
to  but  in  cases  of  great  necessity;  and,  indeed,  is  seldom  practicable. 

•  Though  some  examples  are  so,  only  a  little  way  up  from  the  base,  and,  again,  just  at  the  top  of  the 
column. 


28 


RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 


TABLE    OF    PROPORTIONS. 


FROM  AIKIN  S  ESSAY. 


NAMES  OF  EXAMPLES. 


Portico  of  the  Agora,  at  Athens, 
Temple  of  Minerva,  at  Sunium, 
Temple  of  Jupiter  Nemtcus,  . 
Temple  of  Jupiter  Panhellenius, 
Temple  of  Theseus,  .... 
Temple  of  Minerva,  at  Athens, 
Temple  of  Corinth,    .... 

Portico  of  Philip, 

Temple  of  Apollo,     .... 
Temple  of  Minerva,  at  Syracuse 
Temple  of  Juno  Lucina,      .     . 
Temple  of  Concord,  .... 


Pseudodipteral  Temple,  at  Paestum 

Hexastyle  Temple,  at  Pa-stum, 
Ilypaethral  Temple,  at  Pnestum, 

Inner  peristyle  of  ditto,    .     . 

Upper  columns  of  ditto,  ditto. 
Temple  of  Selinus,    .... 
Temple  of  Jupiter,  at  Selinus, 
Temple  at  Egcsta,     .... 
Theatre  of  Marcellus,     .      .     . 


60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
60 

60 

60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
60 
60 


47 

45J 

49 

44i 

46| 

47 

44 1 

49i 

46 

45i 

46 

40J 

43 

41i 

43 

44 
46^ 
35| 
44| 

48 


2i 
54 
31 
24 
42i 
33i 

4 
32i 

3} 
24i 
42 
45i 

27 

473 
8 

13i 
50 
21f 
344 


7    51§ 


^r.!""     Frlcrc. 


40 

48i 

381 

51i 

50 

43 

48| 

38i 

49S 

44J 

55 

46| 

50 

45| 

39 

68 

46| 

52 

49t 

30 


42 

48J 

43i 

51i 

49i 

43 

43| 

42i 

4 

45 

46i 


44| 
40J 


44S 

52i 
454 


21 

32 

25i 

25 


24| 
21J 


26 

40;J 

37s 


1  28 

1  41 

1  37i 

1  17| 

1  14 

2  42| 

1  5| 

1  15 

1  10| 
(59i 

\m 

1  4J 

1  22J 

2  49 


I     11 


^\)c  Sonic  ©rbcr. 

\'itruvius  informs  us,  that,  in  .i  general  assembly  of  the  Grecian  states, 
thirteen  colonies  were  sent  over  into  Asia,  by  the  Athenians;  the  expedition 
was  led  by  Ion,  whom  the  Delphic  oracle,  which  directed  the  emigration, 
had  acknowledged  for  the  offspring  of  Apollo.  They  settled  on  the  bor- 
ders of  Caria,  and  built  several  cities  of  great  fi\me,  of  which  were  Ephesus, 
Miletus,  Samos,  and  Colophon,  to  which  Smyrna  was  afterwards  added; 
and,  after  the  expulsion  of  the  original  inhabitants,  these  colonies  were 
denominated  Ionian,  from  tiie  name  of  their  chief.  "In  this  country," 
continues  he,  "  allotting  different  sites  to  sacred  purposes,  they  erected  tem- 
ples, the  first  of  which  was  dedicated  to  Apollo  Panionius.  It  resembled 
that  which  they  had  seen  in  Achaia,  and  from  the  .species  having  been  first 


THE    IONIC   ORDER.  29 

used  in  the  cities  of  the  Dorians,  they  gave  it  the  name  of  Doric.  As  they 
wished  to  erect  this  temple  with  columns,  and  were  not  acquainted  with 
their  proportions,  nor  the  mode  in  which  they  should  be  adjusted,  so  as  to  be 
both  adapted  to  the  reception  of  the  superincumbent  weight,  and  to  have  a 
beautiful  effect,  they  measured  a  man's  height  by  the  length  of  the  foot, 
which  they  found  to  be  a  sixth  part  thereof,  and  thence  deduced  the  pro- 
portions of  their  columns.  Thus  the  Doric  order  borrowed  its  proportion, 
strength,  and  beauty,  from  the  human  figure.  On  similar  principles,  they 
afterwards  built  the  temple  of  Diana,  but  in  this,  from  a  desire  of  varying 
the  proportions,  they  used  the  female  figure  as  a  standard,  making  the  height 
of  the  column  eight  times  its  thickness,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  it  a  more 
lofty  effect.  Under  this  new  order  they  placed  a  base  as  a  shoe  to  the  foot. 
They  also  added  volutes  to  the  capital,  resembling  the  graceful  curls  of  the 
hair,  hanging  therefrom  to  the  right  and  left.  On  the  shaft,  channels  were 
sunk,  bearing  a  resemblance  to  the  folds  of  a  matronal  garment.  Thus 
were  two  orders'  invented,  one  of  a  masculine  character,  without  orna- 
ment, the  other  approaching  the  delicacy,  decorations,  and  proportion  of  a 
female.  The  successors  of  these  people  improving  in  taste,  and  preferring  a 
more  slender  proportion,  assigned  seven  diameters  to  the  height  of  the 
Doric  column,  and  eight  and  a  half  to  the  Ionic.  The  species  of  which  the 
lonians  were  the  inventors,  received  the  appellation  of  Ionic." 

The  volute  is  a  distinguishing  feature  of  the  Ionic.  I  now  give  the  pro- 
portional figures  from  Nicholson's  Architectural  Dictionary,  from  the 
Erectheus  at  Athens.  First  find  the  lesser  projection  of  the  echinus;  let  drop 
a  plumb-line  40  minutes  of  the  order,  the  depth  of  the  volute.  Divide  this 
line  into  34  parts,  give  20  to  the  upper  division,  take  2.4  for  the  radius  of  the 
eye,  divide  the  radius  into  eight  parts,  then  counting  from  the  plumb-line  at 
top,  measuring  from  the  centre  of  the  eye;  second,  18.3;  third,  16.7;  fourth, 
15.3;  fifth,  14;  snclh,  12.8;  seventh,  11.7;  eighth,  10.7.  Second  revolution; 
first,  9.8;    second,  9;    third,  8.2;  fourth,  7.5;  fifth,  6.9;  sixth,  6.3;  seventh. 


30  RURAL   ARCHITECTURE. 

5.7;  eighth,  5.2.  Third  revolution;  first,  4.8;  second,  4.4;  third,  4 ;  fuiirlh, 
3.7;  fifth,  3.4;  sixth,  3.1;  seventh,  2.8;  eighth,  2.6;  the  diameter  of  the 
eye,  4.8. 

Another  method  of  forming  the  spiral  lines  of  a  volute  with  a  more  regular 
curve  than  is  practicable  in  the  former  method  of  forming  the  spiral  lines,  I 
will  now  describe. 

For  the  depth  of  the  volute  take  40  minutes  of  the  order.  Drop  a  plumb- 
line  from  the  lesser  projection  of  the  echinus,  taking  22.5  minutes  from  the 
echinus  to  the  centre  of  the  eye,  leaving  17.5  minutes  from  the  centre  of  the 
eye  to  the  bottom  of  the  volute ;  find  a  right  angle  from  the  centre  of  the 
eye,  take  one  half  minute  in  your  dividers  and  space  of  3  on  each  of  the 
angles,  from  the  centre  parallel  *  to  each  of  those  angles  extending  the  four 
lines  from  the  intersection,  .so  that  the  curve  of  the  first  revolution  will  cut 
each  ;  then  extend  the  second  audinets  to  the  second  revolution,  the  third  to 
the  third;  take  three  minutes  in  your  dividers,  placing  one  point  of  the 
dividers  at  the  centre  and  describe  the  eye ;  six  minutes  being  the  diameter 
of  the  eye,  now  we  form  the  spiral  lines  from  each  quadrant  A,  B,  C  The 
first  extends  points  of  the  dividers  from  B  io  A ;  draw  the  curve  from  A  to 
E;  then  from  D  io  C  draw  to  E;  from  F  to  E,  draw  G ;  from  //  G  to 
first  revolution.  Then  11  to  2;  from  3.2  to  4;  from  5.4  to  6;  from  9.6  to  8  — 
second  revolution.  Take  the  inner  square  and  perform  the  third  revolution 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  first  and  second,  and  for  four  revolutions  make 
the  sides  of  the  squares  into  eight  half  minutes,  four  on  each  of  the  angles 
from  the  centre,  and  proceed  as  in  the  three  revolutions. 

The  most  beautiful  Grecian  specimens  of  this  order,  are  the  temple  on  the 
Iiyssus,t  and  the  temples  of  Neptune  Erectheus,  and  Minerva  Polias,  on  the 

•  It  Bhould  be  observed,  that  this  operation  must  be  repeated  for  every  line  in  tlie  volute,  no  two  being 
struck  from  the  same  centre. 

f  This  beautiful  little  temple  is  now  no  longer  standing. 


THE    IONIC   ORDER.  31 

Acropolis  at  Athens ;  the  two  latter  of  which  are  so  similar  that  we  shall 
not  here  discriminate  between  them.  We  are  thus  reduced  to  two  Greek 
examples,  and  they  are  so  exquisitely  beautiful,  that  it  is  difficult  to  give  the 
preference  to  either.  We  will,  therefore,  describe  both.  The  temple  on  the 
Ilyssus  is  the  plainer  of  the  two;  its  volute  consists  of  a  single  spiral,  with 
a  deep  channel  between,  and  is  separated  from  the  shaft  by  the  sculptured 
echinus.  The  architrave  is  not  broken  into  fasciae,  as  in  most  other 
specimens.  The  cornice  consists  simply  of  a  square  member,  with  one 
echinus  and  fillet,  surmounted  by  the  cymatium ;  the  bed-mouldings  in  the 
elevations  are  completely  concealed.  The  base  is  composed  of  two  tori,  the 
upper  of  which  is  channelled  horizontally,  and  surmounted  by  a  bead, 
inclosing  a  very  flat  scotia,  the  upper  fillet  of  which  projects  as  far  as  the 
extremity  of  the  torus.     The  fillets  are  semi-elliptical. 

The  following  are  the  measures  of  this  order :  the  column,  including  base 
and  capital,  sixteen  modules,  fourteen  minutes  and  one  fifth;  the  base, 
twenty-nine  minutes  and  four  fifths ;  the  capital  to  the  bottom  of  the  volute, 
forty  minutes ;  the  architrave,  fifty-five  minutes  and  two  fifths;  the  frieze, 
forty-nine  minutes;  the  cornice,  thirty  minutes  and  one  fifth.  Width  of  the 
capital,  three  modules,  three  minutes;  upper  diameter  of  column,  fifty-one 
minutes;  intercolumniation,  from  centre  to  centre  of  column,  six  modules, 
five  minutes  and  two  fifths. 

The  order  of  the  temple  of  Minerva  Polias,  is  next  to  be  considered.  This 
example  is  much  richer,  yet  no  less  elegant  than  the  other ;  the  volute, 
instead  of  a  single  spiral,  is  formed  by  three ;  the  sculptured  echinus  be- 
neath is  surmounted  by  a  guilloched  moulding,  and  separated  from  the  shaft 
by  a  neck  adorned  with  honey-suckles..  The  base  is  very  similar  to  that  of 
the  temple  on  the  Ilyssus,  except  that  its  beauty  is  increased  by  the  diminu- 
tion of  its  height,  the  scotia  is  deeper,  and  the  upper  torus  is  guilloched. 
The  architrave  consists  of  three  fascia;,  and  the  cornice  is  similar  to  that  of 
the  Ilyssus  temple,  except   that   the  echinus  and  bed-mouldings   are  sculp- 


32  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

tured,  and  the  astragal  of  the  latter  is  seen  in  the  elevation  beneath  the 
corona.  Tiie  coliunn,  iiickuliiig  base  and  capital,  is  eighteen  modules,  seven 
minutes  and  one  tenth  in  hciglit ;  tlie  base,  twenty-four  minutes;  and  the 
capital,  forty-two;  tlie  architrave,  forty-five  minutes  and  one  fourth;  the 
frieze,  forty-seven  minutes  and  four  fifths;  and  the  cornice,  to  the  fillet  of 
the  echinus,  which  is  the  greatest  actual  height  of  the  entablature,  the 
cymatiiim  being  a  restoration,  twenty  minutes  and  two  fifths.  The  Avidth  of 
the  capital,  three  modules,  three  minutes.  Upper  diameter  of  column,  forty- 
nine  minutes  and  a  half.  Intercolumniation,  from  centre  to  centre,  nine 
modules.     Both  of  these  examples  are  destitute  of  insulated  plinths. 

Having  thus  given  our  readers  an  idea  of  the  finest  Greek  specimens  of 
this  order,  we  must  now  proceed  to  the  Roman  and  Italian  examples  of  it. 
It  is  the  peculiarity  of  this  order  that  its  front  and  side  faces  are  dissimilar. 
To  obviate  this  inconvenience,  the  Greeks  twisted  the  extreme  volutes  of  a 
portico  so  as  to  make  the  two  faces  alike.  But  Scamozzi,  a  famous  Italian 
architect,  designed  a  capital  in  which  the  volutes  proceeded  angularly  from 
the  shaft,  thus  presenting  the  same  front  every  way,  and  the  capital,  so 
executed,  has  been  generally  attributed  to  the  supposed  inventor.  Sir 
William  Chambers,  however,  is  of  opinion,  tliat  Michael  Angelo  was  the 
author  of  one  of  this  description  in  the  Vatican  at  Rome.  This  capital  is 
commonly  known  as  modern  Ionic,  but  it  has  not  been  executed  on  large 
works.  The  frieze  of  this  order  has  been  by  many  architects,  and  Palladio 
among  the  number,  rounded  in  its  architrave,  as  though  it  were  pressed 
down  and  bent  by  the  superincumbent  weight;  but  the  ill  effect  of  this 
has  been  so  generally  perceived,  that  it  is  rarely  to  be  seen  in  late  works. 
The  cornice  is  distinguished  from  the  Greek,  by  its  variety  of  mouldings, 
among  which  the  most  remarkable  is  a  square  member  in  the  bed-mould- 
ings, cut  into  small  divisions,  somewhat  resembling  teeth,  whence  they  are 
called  dentils.  In  other  points  of  variation  between  the  Grecian  and  Roman 
architecture,    there     may    be    a   difference   of    opinion ;    but  with    respect 


THE   ROMAN,  OR   COMrOSlTE    ORDER.  33 

to  the  Ionic  capital,  we  conceive  this  to  be  impossible.  Whoever  compares 
the  meagre,  petty  form  of  the  temple  of  Concord  with  that  of  the  Erectheion, 
must  instantly,  whatever  be  his  former  prejudices,  perceive  tlie  amazing 
difference,  and  unhesitatingly  acknowledge  the  vast  superiority  of  the  latter. 
The  poverty  of  the  solitary  revolving  fillet,  the  flat,  insipid  lines,  and  the 
enormous  projection  of  the  clumsy  echinus,  combine  to  render  this  the  very 
worst  feature  in  all  the  Italian  orders.  The  base  commonly  used  is  the 
attic,  though  Vitruvius  has  appropriated  one  to  this  order  resembling  the 
Corinthian  without  its  lower  torus. 

The  following  are  the  measures  of  the  order,  from  Sir  William  Chambers : 
the  base,  one  module;  the  shaft,  sixteen  modules,  nine  minutes;  and  the 
capita],  twenty-one  minutes.  The  architrave,  forty  minutes  and  a  half;  the 
frieze,  the  same ;  and  the  cornice,  fifty-four  minutes.  Width  of  capital,  two 
modules,  twenty-six  minutes.     Upper  diameter  of  column,  fifty  minutes. 

"  As  the  Doric  order,"  says  Sir  William  Chambers,  "  is  particularly  affect- 
ed in  churches  or  temples  dedicated  to  male  saints,  so  the  Ionic  is  principally 
used  in  such  as  are  consecrated  to  females  of  the  matronal  state."  It  is 
likewise  employed  in  courts  of  justice,  in  libraries,  colleges,  seminaries,  and 
other  structures  having  relation  to  arts  or  letters ;  in  private  houses,  and  in 
palaces;  to  adorn  the  women's  apartments;  and,  says  Le  Clerc,  in  all  places 
dedicated  to  peace  and  tranquillity.  The  ancients  employed  it  in  temples 
sacred  to  Juno,  to  Bacchus,  to  Diana,  and  other  deities,  whose  characters 
held  a  medium  between  the  severe  and  the  effeminate. 

^I)C  Koman,  or  <2Ir»mposit£  ©ricr. 

This  order,  though  not  considered  by  them  as  a  distinct  one,  was  em- 
ployed by  the  Romans  principally  in  triumphal  arches;  the  column  and 
entablature  being  the  same  as,  or  little  different  from,  the  Corinthian. 

This  difference  was,  however,  sufficient  for  the  Italians  to  ground  a  new 
5 


34  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

order  upon.  The  capital,  as  being  composed  of  llie  Ionic  and  Corinthian, 
they  termed  composUe ;  and  to  justify  the  application  of  the  name  to  the 
order  in  general,  tliey  combined  in  the  entablature  the  dentils  of  the  Ionic 
with  the  nuitules  of  the  Doric,  and  enrichments  of  tiie  Corinthian,  and  gave 
to  the  architrave  but  two  fascia.',  thus  rendering  it,  in  some  respects,  more 
simple,  but  more  enriched  than  the  latter,  while  the  former  had  little  but  the 
name  left  in  the  composition.  The  whole  order  may  be  safely  pronounced 
heavy,  without  possessing  grandeur,  and  rich,  though  destitute  of  beauty.  It 
has  been  frequently  adopted,  and  it  is  to  be  lamented  that  Sir  Christopher 
Wren  has  made  so  much  use  of  it  about  St.  Paul's. 

The  base  commonly  appropriated  to  this  order  is  extremely  beautiful ;  it 
consists  of  two  tori,  the  lower  of  which  is  considerably  the  larger,  with  two 
scotia},  enclosing  an  astragal.  This  is  called  the  projjer  base  of  the  order, 
but  the  attic  is  usually  employed,  being  more  simple,  and,  consequently,  less 
expensive  than  the  other. 

The  measures  of  this  order,  from  Sir  William  Chambers,  are  as  follows : 
the  base,  thirty  minutes;  the  shaft,  sixteen  modules,  twenty  minutes;  and  the 
capital,  two  modules,  ten  minutes;  the  architrave,  forty-five  minutes;  and 
the  cornice,  two  modules. 

^I)c  dtorintljxan  ©vbcr. 

The  story  of  this  order,  given  by  Vitruvius,  is  as  follows :  "  The  third 
species  of  columns,  which  is  called  the  Corinthian,  resembles,  in  its  character, 
the  graceful,  elegant  appearance  of  a  virgin,  whose  limbs  are  of  a  more 
delicate  form,  and  whose  ornaments  should  be  unobtrusive.  The  invention 
of  the  capital  of  this  order  arose  from  the  following  circumstance:  A 
Corinthian  virgin,  who  was  of  marriageable  age,  fell  a  victim  to  a  violent 
disorder;  after  her  interment,  her  nurse,  collecting  in  a  basket  ti)ose  articles 
to  which  she  had  shown  a  partiality  when  alive,  carried  thoni  to  her  tomb, 


THE    CORINTHIAN   ORDER.  35 

and  placed  a  tile  on  the  basket,  for  the  longer  preservation  of  its  contents. 
The  basket  was  accidentally  placed  on  the  root  of  an  acanthus  plant,  which, 
pressed  by  the  weight,  shot  forth,  towards  spring,  in  stems  of  large  foliage, 
and,  in  the  course  of  its  growth,  reached  the  angles  of  the  tile,  and  thus 
formed  volutes  at  the  extremities.  Callimachus,  who,  for  his  great  ingenuity 
and  taste  in  sculpture,  was  called,  by  the  Athenians,  aatatEXvoq,  happening 
to  pass  by  the  tomb,  observed  the  basket,  and  the  delicacy  of  the  foliage 
which  surrounded  it.  Pleased  with  the  form  and  the  novelty  of  the  combi- 
nation, he  took  the  hint  for  inventing  these  columns,  and  used  them  in  the 
country  about  Corinth,  regulating,  by  this  model,  the  style  and  proportion  of 
the  Corinthian  order." 

It  has  been  before  observed,  in  our  notice  of  Egyptian  architecture,  that 
the  capitals,  to  be  found  in  the  country,  are  much  more  likely  to  have  given 
the  hint  for  the  Corinthian,  than  the  circumstance  here  mentioned.  The 
only  pure  example  of  this  order  in  Greece  is  the  monument  of  Lysicrates. 
The  capital  of  this  specimen  is  exquisitely  beautiful,  but  the  same  praise 
cannot,  in  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  be  justly  awarded  to  the  entablature; 
the  architrave  is  disproportionately  large,  and  the  frieze  extremely  small ;  the 
bed-mouldings  of  the  cornice,  which  completely  overpower  the  corona,  con- 
sist of  large  dentils,  supported  by  the  echinus,  and  surmounted  by  a  cyma- 
recta  under  a  cyma-reversa,  which  supports  the  corona.  The  base  is  ex- 
tremely beautiful,  resembling  that  of  the  temple  of  Minerva  Polias,  except 
that  an  inverted  echinus  is  substituted  for  the  upper  torus ;  the  base  stands 
upon  a  large  inverted  cavetto,  connected  with  the  continued  plinth  by 
another  inverted  echinus.  The  flutes  terminate  upwards  in  the  form  of 
leaves,  instead  of  being  divided  from  the  capital,  as  usual,  by  an  astragal. 
The  building  is  circulai*,  and  its  centre  is  the  summit  of  an  equilateral 
triangle,  of  which  the  base  is  in  a  line  bounded  by  the  centres  of  any  two 
of  the  columns ;  the  intercolumniation  is  six  modules,  thirteen  minutes  and 
two  fifths,  of  which  the  base  occupies  twenty-one  minutes ;  and  the  capital. 


36  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

two  modules,  twenty-seven  minutes.  The  architrave,  fifty-three  minutes  and 
two  fifths;  the  frieze,  forty-one  minutes  and  two  fifths;  and  the  cornice, 
forty-eight  minutes  and  four  fifths.  The  finest  Roman  example  of  this  order 
is  that  of  three  columns  in  the  Campo  Vaccino,  at  Rome,  which  are  com- 
monly regarded  as  the  remains  of  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Stator.  This  exam- 
ple has  received  the  commendations  of  all  modern  artists,  yet  has  seldom 
been  executed  in  its  original  form.  This  is  probably  owing  to  the  excessive 
richness  and  delicacy  of  it,  which  renders  its  adoption  very  expensive ;  and 
perhaps  the  modifications  of  it  by  Vignola  is  preferable  to  the  original,  pos- 
sessing a  sufficient  enrichment,  without  the  excessive  refinement  of  the  other. 
In  this  order,  which  has  been  adopted  ])y  Sir  William  Chamber.s,  the  base 
is  one  module  in  height;  the  shaft,  sixteen  modules,  twenty  minutes;  and  the 
capital,  two  modules,  ten  minutes;  thus  giving  ten  diameters  to  tlie  whole 
column.  The  arcliitrave  and  frieze  are  eacii  one  module,  fifteen  minutes,  in 
height,  and  the  cornice,  two  modules.  The  cornice  is  distinguished  by 
modillions  intcr2)()sing  between  the  bed-mouldings  and  the  corona;  the  latter 
is  formed  by  a  square  member,  surmounted  by  a  cymatium  supported  by  a 
small  ogee;  the  former  is  composed  by  dentils,  supported  by  a  cyma-reversa, 
and  covered  by  an  ovolo.  "When  tlie  order  is  enriched,  which  is  usually  the 
case,  these  mouldings,  excepting  the  cymatium  and  square  of  the  corona, 
are  all  sculptured;  the  column  is  also  fluted,  and  the  channels  are  sometimes 
filled  to  about  a  third  of  their  height  with  cablings,  which  are  cylindrical 
pieces  let  into  the  channels.  When  the  column  is  large,  and  near  the  eye, 
these  are  recommended  as  strengthening  them,  and  rendering  the  fillets  less 
liable  to  fracture ;  but  when  they  are  not  approached,  it  is  better  to  leave 
the  flutes  plain.  Tlicy  are  sometimes  sculptured,  but  tiiis  should  be  only  in 
liighly-enriched  orders.  Tlie  flutes  are  twenty-four  in  number,  and  counnonly 
semicircular  in  their  plan.  TIic  Corintiiian  base  is  similar  to  ihat  of  the 
conq)osite  order,  excepting  tluit  astragals  are  employed  between  the  scotia*, 
instead  of  one ;  but  the  attic  is  usually  employed  for  the  reasons  before 
assigned. 


PERSIANS  AND  CARYATIDES.  37 

"  The  Corinthian  order,"  says  Sir  William  Chambers,  "  is  proper  for  all 
buildings  where  elegance,  gayety,  and  magnificence  are  required.  The 
ancients  employed  it  in  building  temples  dedicated  to  Venus,  to  Flora, 
Proserpine,  and  the  nymphs  of  fountains,  because  the  flowers,  foliage,  and 
volutes  with  which  it  is  adorned,  seemed  well  adapted  to  the  delicacy  and 
elegance  of  such  deities.  Being  the  most  splendid  of  all  the  orders,  it  is 
extremely  proper  for  the  decoration  of  palaces,  public  squares  or  galleries, 
and  arcades  surrounding  them;  for  churches  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  or 
to  other  virgin  saints;  and,  on  account  of  its  rich,  gay,  and  graceful  appear- 
ance, it  may,  with  propriety,  be  used  in  theatres,  in  ball  or  banqueting- 
rooms,  and  in  all  places  consecrated  to  festive  mirth,  or  convivial  recreation." 

Persian©  anb  €arMatibe0. 

Having  now  described  what  are  called  the  regular  orders,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  notice,  in  the  next  place,  the  employment  of  human  figures  instead 
of  columns,  for  the  support  of  an  entablature.  We  will  first  give,  as  in 
former  cases,  the  account  of  Vitruvius.  "  Carya,  a  city  of  Peloponessus,  took 
part  with  the  Persians  against  the  Grecian  states.  When  the  country  was 
freed  from  its  invaders,  the  Greeks  turned  their  arms  against  the  Caryans, 
and  upon  the  capture  of  the  city,  put  the  males  to  the  sword,  and  led  the 
females  into  captivity.  The  architects  of  that  time,  for  the  purpose  of 
perpetuating  the  ignominy  of  the  people,  instead  of  columns  in  the  porticos 
of  their  buildings,  substituted  statues  of  these  women,  faithfully  copying  their 
ornaments,  and  the  drapery  with  which  they  were  attired,  the  mode  of 
which  they  were  not  permitted  to  change." 

There  are  two  great  objections  to  the  truth  of  this  story;  first,  that  the 
circumstance  is  not  mentioned  by  any  of  the  Grecian  historians;  and, 
secondly,  that  it  is  certain  that  animal  figures  were  employed  for  this  purpose, 
long  previous  to  the  time  assigned  by  Vitruvius. 


38  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Having  thus  shown  our  readers  what  is  not  the  origin  of  these  figures,  it 
must  next  be  our  business  to  inform  them  what  is,  or  rather  what  most 
probably  is;  and  for  this  purpose  we  must  trespass  on  the  kindness  of  Mr. 
Gwilt,  the  only  writer,  Ave  believe,  who  has  given  a  satisfactory  account  of 
them,  lie  conjectures  the  name  to  have  arisen  from  the  employment  of 
them  in  temples  to  Diana,  who  is  supposed  to  have  made  the  Lacedemonians 
acquainted  with  the  story  of  Carya,  (turned  into  a  nut  by  Bacchus,  who  also 
transforiucd  her  sisters  into  stones,)  and  thence  worshipped  by  them,  under 
the  name  of  Canjatis.  Thus  being  first  employed  in  temples  to  this  goddess, 
they  afterwards  came  into  use  in  other  buildings  as  representations  of  the 
nymphs  who  assisted  at  the  mysteries  of  the  patron  goddess.  They  may  be 
seen  at  St.  Pancras  Church,  correctly  copied  from  the  Pandroseum,  the 
only  Greek  building  remaining  where  they  are  employed. 

The  entablature  of  this  example  is  extremely  heavy,  consisting  only  of  an 
architrave  and  enormous  cornice  with  dentils,  which,  however  dispropor- 
tionate in  its  situation,  is,  of  itself,  very  beautiful.  There  are  no  remains  of 
these  figures  in  ancient  Rome.  The  moderns  have  assigned  the  Ionic 
entablature  to  Caryatides,  and  the  Doric,  when  the  figures  of  men  are 
employed,  which  are  called  Persians. 

Caryatides  are,  Avhen  appropriately  designed,  well  adapted  for  buildings 
devoted  to  pleasure,  such  as  theatres,  ball-rooms,  &c.,  but  are  decidedly 
improper  for  sacred  edifices.  They  should  not  be  represented  much  above 
the  natural  size,  "lest  they  should  appear  hideous  in  the  eyes  of  the  fair." 
For  male  figures,  on  the  contrary,  a  large  size  is  desirable ;  they  are  said  to 
be  proper  for  military  buildings. 

The  contradictions  of  some  of  the  French  architects  on  this  subject  are 
very  curious.  Le  Clerc  tells  us,  that  it  is  very  wrong  to  represent 
Caryatides  in  servile  attitudes,  such  characters  being  very  injurious  to  the 
sex.  On  the  contrary,  they  should  be  considered  the  greatest  ornaments  to 
buildings,  as  their  prototypes  are  of  creation,  and  represented  in  respectful 


PILASTERS.  39 

characters.  But  M.  de  Chambrai  disagrees  with  his  learned  friend,  and 
considers  this  practice  as  an  error,  observing  that  if  the  text  of  Vitruvius  be 
attended  to,  it  will  be  perceived  that  it  is  very  improper  to  represent  saints 
and  angels  loaded  like  slaves  witli  cornices  and  other  heavy  burdens.  He 
likewise  considers  them  as  improper  for  churches,  in  which,  as  houses  of 
God,  and  asylums  of  mercy,  vengeance  and  slavery  ouglit  never  to  appear. 
M.  Blondel  again  observes,  "that  though  this  remark  be  just,  if  the  origin  of 
these  ornaments  be  rigorously  attended  to,  yet  to  serve  in  the  house  of  God, 
and  particularly  at  the  altar,  has  always  appeared,  in  the  minds  of  the 
prophets  and  saints,  so  glorious  and  great,  that  not  only  men,  but  angels 
ought  to  esteem  it  a  happiness  ;  and  that,  consequently,  it  can  be  no  indica- 
tion of  disrespect  to  employ  their  representations  in  offices  which  they  would 
themselves  execute  with  pleasure."  Such  are  the  frivolous  questions  and 
debates  into  which  blind  reverence  for  antiquity  has  involved  men  of  con- 
siderable talents.  Leaving  them,  however,  to  such  as  are  inclined  to  pay 
them  attention,  it  is  now  requisite  to  describe  a  species  of  figures,  which,  on 
account  of  its  simplicity,  has  sometimes  been  substituted  for  Caryatides. 
They  are  called  termini,  or  terms,  and  derive  their  name  and  origin  from  the 
boundary  stones  of  the  Romans,  to  render  which  inviolate,  Numa  Pompilius 
erected  the  terminus  into  a  deity,  and  he  was  first  worshipped  in  the 
similitude  of  a  stone.  This  was  afterwards  improved  into  a  human  head 
upon  a  pedestal,  smaller  at  the  botton  than  the  top,  and  they  are  thus,  with 
numerous  variations,  represented  in  buildings. 

Pilasters,  when  they  are  attached  to  walls,  are  square,  projecting  from 
one  fifth  to  one  half  the  breadth  of  the  face,  and  when  erected  on  the  angles 
of  buildings,  show  two  equal  faces.  When  attached  to  columns,  the  width 
should  be  nearly  equal  to  the   neck  of  the  column   to  which  it  may  be 


40  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

attached  ;  in  this  case,  the  Grecians  introduced  small  projections  in  the  walls, 
with  bases  and  capitals,  termed  anta;.  These  were  sometimes  erected  cm  the 
angles  of  porticos,  and  in  the  rear  colunnis,  where  the  walls  cause  the  Hanks, 
uniting  with  the  wall  of  the  building,  to  give  the  front  that  solidity  required 
in  large  works,  in  wliich  the  width  requires  more  space  than  a  single 
pilaster.  Divide  the  face  into  two  equal  parts,  and  leave  the  space  between 
them  equal  to  one  fourth  of  the  anta,  or  pilaster;  these  antic  were  seldom 
accompanied  with  volutes,  as  were  columns  of  the  Ionic. 

Pciicstals. 

Columns  are  most  frequently  placed  on  the  ground,  but  are  sometimes 
raised  on  insulated  basements,  called  pedestals.  A  pedestal  is,  like  a 
column,  composed  of  three  parts ;  the  base,  the  body,  or  die,  and  the  cor- 
nice; the  decorations  of  which  vary  according  to  the  order  in  which  it 
is  employed.  The  best  method  of  arranging  them,  is  that  employed  by 
Vignola,  who  makes  them,  in  all  the  orders,  one  third  the  height  of  the 
column,  thus  preserving  the  character  of  the  order.  The  die  is  always  the 
same  size  as  the  plinth  of  the  column,  and  the  base  and  cornice  are  regulated 
by  the  delicacy  of  the  order. 

Pedestals  should  never  be  employed  with  detaclied  columns,  forming 
porticos,  but  they  are  frequently  applied  to  columns  which  divide  arches, 
and  are  necessary  in  churches,  where  the  pews  would  otherwise  conceal  the 
base,  and  a  great  part  of  the  column.  Tiie  same  reason  will  justify  their  use 
in  all  edifices  built  for  the  reception  of  crowded  assemblies. 

JPcMmcnts. 

Where  columns  are  employed  to  decorate  the  gable  of  a  building,  in  which 
situation  they  usually  form  what  is  called  a  portico,  the  triangle  formed  by 
the  roof  projecting   upwards   from   the  entablatures   is  called   a  pediment. 


PEDIMENTS.  41 

The  entablature,  in  this  case,  is  covered  by  two  straight  inclined  cornices, 
the  mouldings  of  which  are  similar  to  the  horizontal  one;  the  space  inclosed 
is  called  the  tympanum.  This  was  the  original  pediment,  and  the  only  form 
found  in  Greece ;  but  the  Romans,  to  vary  the  form,  employed,  in  smaller 
works,  a  segment,  or  a  circle,  instead  of  the  triangle.  The  former,  however, 
is  heavy,  and  is  only  used  as  a  covering  to  gates,  doors,  windows,  and  such 
smaller  architectural  works,  where,  by  reason  of  their  diminutiveness,  they 
may  produce  variety,  without  being  disagreeable  to  the  eye.  The  cyma- 
tium,  when  the  horizontal  cornice  with  a  pediment,  is  omitted,  and  only 
used  in  the  inclined  cornice ;  otherwise  this  moulding  would  occur  twice 
together  in  the  same  profile.  The  mutules,  dentils,  and  modillions  in  the 
inclined  or  segmental  cornice,  must  always  answer  perpetidicularly  to  those 
in  the  horizontal  one,  and  their  sides  must  be  perpendicular  to  the  latter. 

The  proportion  of  a  pediment  depends  upon  the  length  of  the  base  line, 
the  cornice  being  of  the  same  size;  and  in  a  portico  with  many  columns,  the 
tympanum  will  not  be  of  the  same  proportion  to  the  rest  of  the  composition,  as 
when  it  is  composed  by  a  few.  The  method  of  determining  the  height  of  the 
pediment  has  lately  been  given  in  a  French  pamphlet,  more  correctly  than 
before.  It  is  this:  first,  from  the  summit  of  an  equilateral  triangle,  the  base 
of  which  is  the  upper  fillet  of  the  horizontal  cornice,  with  one  side  of  the 
triangle  as  radius,  describe  an  arc ;  with  the  point  of  intersection  between 
this  arc  and  the  centre  line  of  the  composition  as  a  centre,  and  with  the 
depth  of  the  horizontal  cornice  as  a  radius,  describe  part  of  a  circle.  A  line 
drawn  from  the  extreme  boundary  of  the  upper  moulding  of  the  horizontal 
cornice,  passing  as  a  tangent  to  the  circle,  gives  the  inclination  of  the  pedi- 
ment. In  more  modern  practice,  the  height  of  a  pediment  is  more  commonly 
ascertained  by  dividing  the  base  line  into  three,  four,  or  five  equal  parts; 
give  one  to  a  perpendicular  raised  from  the  centre  and  upper  fillet  of  the 
horizontal  cornice;  draw  a  line  from  the  extreme  point  of  the  fillet  to  the 

top  of  the  perpendicular;  draw  the  crown  moulding  and  the  remainder  of 
6 


42  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

the  cornice  below  the  line  of  inclination ;  either  of  those  angles  is  suflicient 
to  be  made  tight  by  shingles  or  slating,  and  a  lesser  inclination  will  answer 
a  good  purpose,  for  covering  with  galvanized  iron,  tin,  or  copper. 

a3otl)ic  ^rcl)itccturc. 

It  has  been  before  observed,  that  the  rude  buildings  of  the  Saxons  and 
Normans  in  Europe,  which  are  evidently  copied  from  those  of  the  Romans, 
may,  by  gradual  improvement,  have  given  rise  to  Gothic  architecture;  and 
that  this  was  the  case  in  England,  at  least,  there  is  no  doubt.  But  there  are 
certain  peculiarities,  even  in  these  crude  and  imperfect  attempts,  though 
afterwards  more  fully  developed,  which  require  to  be  noticed  before  we 
proceed  further;  plainly  indicating  that  the  works  in  question  were  raised 
under  the  influence  of  a  less  ardent  sun,  and  more  obscure  sky.  In  the 
happy  climate  of  Greece,  where  little  was  to  be  feared  from  change  of 
weather,  the  temples,  the  only  buildings  distinguished  for  architectural 
excellence,  were  frequently  destitute  of  covering.  Windows,  in  this  case, 
being  entirely  superfluous,  the  w-alls  were,  in  many  instances,  pierced  only 
by  a  single  door,  wdiich  served  at  once  for  ingress  and  egress  to  both 
priests  and  worshippers.  Science  here,  therefore,  was  not  needed,  and, 
indeed,  is  not  to  be  found.  With  the  practical  application  of  the  principle  of 
the  arch,  the  Greeks  do  not  appear  to  have  been  acquainted  ;  the  large  stones 
which,  in  those  early  ages,  were  to  be  procured  in  abundance,  being  suflH- 
cient  to  cover  the  columns  and  tiie  opening  of  (he  doors.  As  architecture 
improved,  however,  roofs  were  added  to  these  edifices;  and,  to  throw  off  the 
rain,  they  were  inclined  downwards  from  the  centre  to  the  extremities. 
This  inclination,  in  a  climate  Avhcre  so  little  rain  or  snow  fell,  required  to  be 
but  small;  but  in  Rome,  wMiich  is  more  northern,  it  was  found  convenient  to 
increase  it  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  situation.  In  countries  far  more 
exposed  to  vicissitudes  of  weather  than  either  of  those,  it  is  evident  that  a 


GOTHIC   ARCHITECTURE.  43 

very  different  pitch  will  be  requisite;  and  this  theory  is  verified  by  the  build- 
ings of  northern  climates,  the  architects  of  which,  though  totally  unac- 
quainted with  the  works  of  their  southern  predecessors,  by  a  singular 
coincidence,  adapted  their  roofs  to  their  latitude  in  a  regular  scale  of  grada- 
tion from  them.  The  Saxon  and  Norman  architects,  though  they  did  not 
comprehend  this  principle  in  the  perfection  to  which  it  was  afterwards 
carried,  were  sensible  of  the  wants  of  the  climate,  and  made  their  roofs  much 
higher  than  those  of  their  Roman  prototypes. 

This  circumstance,  presenting  itself  to  minds  so  quick  to  perceive,  and 
so  able  to  adopt,  any  novelty  which  came  recommended  by  utility  and  beauty, 
as  were  those  of  the  architects  of  the  middle  ages,  could  not  fail  of  meet- 
ing with  the  highest  attention.  It  was  soon  seen  that  unbroken  vertical 
lines  and  lofty  buildings  were  necessary,  to  harmonize  with  the  high  pitched 
roof;  and  the  pointed  arch  is  but  a  natural  and  easy  deduction  from  these 
data.  But  there  is  another  and  an  important  peculiarity  in  buildings, 
designed  for  northern  climates,  to  which  we  must  next  call  the  attention  of 
our  readers.  This  ari.ses  from  the  numerous  circumstances,  which,  in  these 
regions,  conspire  to  obscure  the  rays  of  the  sun.  The  great  darkness  which 
prevails  in  them,  compared  with  Greece  and  Italy,  evidently  requires  a  very 
different  arrangement  in  the  public  buildings,  and  this  circumstance  has  re- 
ceived no  small  share  of  the  attention  of  the  architects,  whose  works  we  are 
considering.  The  variety  and  beauty  of  its  windows  is  not  the  least  striking 
peculiarity  of  Gothic  architecture;  and,  indeed,  they  form  the  readiest 
criterion  for  distinguishing  the  several  styles,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter. 

A  third  essential  point  of  distinction,  between  this  style  and  all  others, 
consists  in  the  different  purposes  for  which  the  edifices  were  constructed,  in 
which  it  is  most  apparent,  and  the  different  ceremovies  for  which  they  were 
adapted.  Although  the  rites  of  Greek  and  Roman  Paganism  were  numerous 
and  splendid,  they  required  little  aid  from  architecture  ;  the  ceremonies  with 
which  they  were  connected,  were  principally  performed  in  the  open  air,  and 


44  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

the  temple  was  only  used  as  a  receptacle  for  the  statue  of  the  deity,  before 
which  sacrifices  were  offered,  and  to  which  prayers  were  preferred. 

But  Christian  worship,  under  papal  guidance,  and  in  a  country  so  cold  as 
to  render  shelter  necessary  for  the  performance  of  its  ceremonies,  required 
other  arrangements  in  the  edifices  dedicated  to  it.  For  its  numerous  and 
splendid  processions,  was  provided  a  long,  narrow,  and  lofty  gallery,  called 
ihe  nave;  for  the  reception  of  the  multitude  to  witness  these,  adjacent  wings 
were  added,  called  aides.  A  choir  was  added  for  the  actual  performance  of 
the  sacred  rites;  and  numerous  chapels,  to  commemorate  the  bounty  of  in- 
dividuals, were  di.spersed  about  the  edifice. 

All  these  essential  appendages  necessarily  occupied  a  space  of  great  mag- 
nitude, and  the  figure  of  the  cross,  held  by  the  Romish  Church  in  the  most 
profound  veneration,  was  pitched  upon  to  regulate  the  general  form  of  the 
building  thus  constituted.  One  reason  for  mentioning  these  particulars,  is  to 
show  the  absolute  necessity,  which  thus  arose,  for  a  degree  of  science  and 
mathematical  knowledge,  not  dreamt  of  by  the  architects,  whose  works  are 
received  as  the  sole  standards  of  excellence,  by  most  of  the  professors  of 
modern  times.  The  narrow  intercolumniations  of  the  Grecian  buildings 
would  have  been  ill  adapted  for  the  display  of  feudal  magnificence,  and  the 
stones  within  the  reach  of  the  builders,  were  far  too  small  to  cover  even 
these.  Thus  the  arch  became,  unavoidably,  a  prominent  feature  in  the 
style.  To  give  greater  magnificence  to  the  nave,  it  was  made  a  story  higher 
than  the  aisles.  The  wall  of  this  upper  story  is  supported  by  large  piers, 
whicli  divide  the  nave  from  the  aisles.  The  upper,  or  ckar  story,  as  it  is 
called,  has  windows  answering  to  those  beneath.  To  form  an  interior  roof- 
ing, which  should  at  once  Iiide  the  timbers  above,  and  furnish  an  appropriate 
finish  to  the  architrave,  the  same  contrivance  was  resorted  to;  and  from  this 
cause  have  proceeded  those  vast  monuments  of  daring  ingenuity,  which, 
while  they  excite  the  admiration,  have  baflled  the  rival  attempts  of  modern 
architects. 


GOTHIC   ARCHITECTURE.  45 

Having  thus  traced,  we  hope  perspicuously  and  satisfactorily,  the  causes 
which  gave  rise  to  Gothic  architecture,  and  led  to  its  perfecliori,  it  will  be 
proper,  before  discriminating  between  its  several  styles,  to  explain  some  of 
its  leading  principles,  and  those  particulars  in  which  it  more  especially  differs 
from  the  better  known  principles  of  Greek  and  Roman  architecture. 

Of  these,  the  first  in  importance,  is  the  pointed  arch,  of  which  there  are 
three  kinds.  1.  The  simple  pointed  arch,  which  is  struck  from  two  centres  on 
the  line  of  the  impost.  2.  The  Tudor  arch,  or  that  which  has  four  centres, 
of  which  two  are  on  the  line  of  the  impost  line,  and  the  other  two  at  any 
distance.  3.  The  ogee,  which  has  likewise  four  centres,  two  on  the  impost 
line,  and  two  on  a  line  with  the  apex,  the  segments  struck  from  which  are 
reversed.  This  form  is  used  only  in  tracery,  or  small  work,  except  as  a 
canopy  or  drip-stone,  over  doors  and  windows.  The  pointed  arcli  differs 
from  the  semi-circular,  as  employed  by  the  Romans,  besides  its  form,  in 
having  its  soffit  occupied  by  mouldings  of  various  projections,  instead  of  being 
flat,  enriched  with  panels.  The  cause  of  this,  is  its  great  breadth,  having 
frequently  to  support  a  wall  and  roof,  which  required  the  piers  to  be  of  cor- 
responding magnitude,  to  diminish  the  unpleasing  effect  of  which,  the 
architects  surrounded  them  with  slender  shafts.  The  projections  of  these 
being  carried  into  the  arch,  caused  it  to  be  of  the  form  in  question.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  these  piers  are  always  undiminished. 
Arising  from  the  general  use  of  the  arch  is  that  of  the  buttress.  In  Norman 
work,  this  was  avoided  by  the  employment  of  walls  of  vast  thickness,  with 
very  small  windows,  but  when  architecture  began  to  assume  a  lighter 
character,  the  windows  were  enlarged,  and  the  thickness  of  the  walls 
diminished.  To  compensate  for  this  deficiency,  the  buttress  was  employed  at 
once  to  resist  the  pressure  of  the  arches  within,  and  to  prevent  the  necessity 
of  the  walls  being  of  an  unwieldy  thickness.  These  are  often  divided  into 
stages,  each  being  of  less  projection  than  that  beneath  it,  finished  by  pinna- 
cles, and  from  the  upper  part  of  them  spring  insulated  arches,  serving  as  a 
projection  for  tlie  clear  story. 


46  KURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

The  next  lliiiig  to  be  mentioned  is  the  steeple,  with  its  compound  parts  and 
acconipaiiiniciits.  When  square-topped,  it  is  called  a  tower,  which  is  often 
crowned  with  a  spire.  Slender  and  lofty  towers  are  turrets,  and  arc  com- 
monly attached  citlier  to  the  angles  of  a  large  tower,  where  they  frequently 
contain  stair-cases,  or  to  the  angles  of  a  building.  They  are  sometimes 
surmounted  by  spires,  a  beautiful  example  of  which  may  be  seen  at  Peter- 
borough cathedral,  in  the  turret  at  the  north-west  angle.  In  this  exquisite 
and  unique  design,  the  turret  is  square,  and  decorated  at  the  angle  with 
boltels,  which  are  carried  up  beyond  it,  and  finished  by  a  triangular  pinnacle. 
The  spire  in  the  centre  is  octagonal,  and  rectangularly  placed  within  the 
square,  four  of  its  sides  thus  forming  triangles  Avith  the  angular  boltels, 
which,  being  arched  over,  form  grounds  for  pinnacles  of  the  same  form, 
which  are  carried  up  to  about  half  of  the  height  of  the  spire  itself  The 
effect  is  beautiful  beyond  description,  and  merits  the  most  attentive  ex- 
amination. 

Next  in  importance  are  the  lomdows  of  Gothic  architecture ;  but  as  these 
differ  so  widely  in  the  several  styles  as  to  form  the  readiest  criterion  for 
distinguishing  them,  they  will  be  more  properly  noticed  when  we  speak  of 
these  styles.  We  shall  pursue  the  same  plan  with  doors  and  other  subordi- 
nate parts. 

It  may  be  proper,  in  this  place,  to  say  something  of  the  inouldiiigs  of 
Gothic  architecture.  Of  these,  that  which  bears  the  most  resemblance  to 
the  Roman  mouldings  is  the  ogee,  distinguished  by  the  same  name,  or  that  of 
cyma-rcversa,  in  the  nomenclature  of  the  Italian  school.  A  moulding  used 
for  the  same  purpose  as  the  cyma-recta,  and  much  resembling  it,  is  also 
found,  more  frequently,  perhaps,  than  any  other.  That  which  is  most 
peculiar  to  the  style,  is  the  Ijoltel,  or  cylindrical,  and  nearly  detaciicd  mould- 
ing, often  answered  by  a  corresponding  hollow.  In  the  ]>late  are  delineated 
two  forms  of  exterior  drip-stones.     (Plate  41,  Cap  figs.  4  and  7.) 

We  shall  now  delineate  the  different  styles  of  Gothic  architecture,  with 


GOTHIC   AKCHITECTUEE.  47 

the  peculiarities  of  each ;  and,  in  so  doing,  follow  the  arrangement  and 
nomenclature  of  Mr.  Rickman,  the  only  writer  who  has  attempted  to  give  a 
clear  and  practical  account  of  this  beautiful,  though  neglected  style.  He 
distinguishes  three  variations,  which  may,  without  impropriety,  be  called  the 
orders  of  Gothic  architecture ;  differing,  however,  from  the  Greek  and  Roman 
orders  in  this  particular  circumstance,  that  while  those  are  confined  to  one 
part  of  a  building,  or,  at  most,  affect  the  rest  only  in  regard  to  strength  or 
delicacy,  these  extend  through  every  part  of  the  edifice.  The  first  style, 
denominated,  by  Mr.  Rickman,  "  Early  English,"  commenced  with  the  reign 
of  Richard  I.,  in  1189,  and  was  superseded  by  the  next,  in  1307,  the  end  of 
the  reign  of  Edward  I.  It  is  principally  distinguished  by  long,  narrow 
windows,  and  bold  ornaments  and  mouldings.  The  window  being  so  essen- 
tial a  mark  of  the  style,  claims  to  be  considered  in  the  first  place. 

The  early  English  window  is  invariably  long  and  narrow;  its  head  is 
generally  the  lancet,  or  highly-pointed  arch,  but  it  is  sometimes  formed 
by  a  trefoil.  In  large  buildings,  there  are  generally  found  two  or  more  of 
these  combined,  with  their  drip-stones  united.  Three  is  the  usual  number, 
but  sometimes  four,  five,  seven,  and,  in  one  instance, —  the  east  end  of  Lin- 
coln cathedral,  —  eight  are  employed.  When  combined,  there  is  usually  a 
quatrefoil  between  the  heads,  and  where  there  are  many,  the  whole  is  some- 
times covered  by  a  segmental  pointed  drip-stone,  to  which  form  the  windows 
are  adapted,  by  the  centre  one's  being  raised  higher  than  the  rest,  which  are 
gradually  lowered  on  each  side  to  the  extremity.  Sometimes,  in  late  build- 
ings, two  windows  have  a  pierced  quatrefoil  between  them,  and  are  covered 
by  a  simple  pointed  arch  as  a  drip-stone ;  thus  approaching  so  nearly  the 
next  style  as  not  to  be  easily  distinguished  from  it.  This  arrangement  may 
be  seen  in  the  nave  of  Westminster  Abbey.  In  large  buildings,  the  windows 
are  frequently  decorated  with  slender  shafts,  which  are  usually  insulated, 
and  connected  by  bands  with  the  wall.  A  fine  example  of  this  may  be  seen 
at  the  Temple  Church,  London,  one  of  the  purest  buildings  existing  of  this 
style. 


48  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

The  circular,  rose,  or  catharine-wlieel  window  is  frequently  found  in 
large  buildings  of  this  style;  in  which,  however,  it  did  not  originate,  being 
found  in  Norman  edifices.  It  appears  to  have  received  much  attention  from 
the  arcliitects  of  this  period,  being  worked  with  great  care. 

The  doors  of  this  style  are  distinguished  by  their  deep  recess;  columns 
usually  insulated  in  a  deep  hollow,  and  a  simple  pointed  arch,  nearly  equi- 
lateral in  the  interior  mouldings,  but  in  the  exterior,  from  the  depth  of  the 
door,  approaching  the  semicircle.  They  are  al.so  frequently  ornamented  by 
a  kind  of  four-leaved  flower  placed  in  a  hollow.  In  large  buildings,  they  are 
often  divided  by  one  or  more  shafts  (clustered)  in  the  centre,  with  one  of  the 
circular  ornaments  above. 

To  the  steeples  of  this  period  were  added,  in  many  instances,  spires,  many 
of  which  are  finely  proportioned,  and  form  a  Aery  characteristic  and  elegant 
finish  to  the  buildings  they  accompany.  They  have  usually  ribs  at  the 
angles,  which  are  .sometimes  crocketted;  and,  in  some  instance.s,  they  are  still 
further  enriched  with  bands  of  quatrefoils  round  the  spire.  The  tovrers  are 
usually  guarded  at  the  angles  by  buttresses,  but  octagonal  turrets  are  some- 
times met  with,  surmounted  by  pinnacles  of  the  same  plan.  In  small 
churches,  the  slope  of  the  spire  sometimes  projects  over  the  wall  of  the 
tower,  which  is  finished  by  a  cornice,  and  the  diagonal  sides  of  the  spire, 
generally  octagonal,  are  sloped  down  to  the  angles. 

The  arches  of  this  style  are  chiefly  distinguished  by  very  numerous, 
though,  for  their  size,  bold  mouldings,  with  hollows  of  corresponding  depth. 
The  lancet  arch  is  chiefly  used,  though  many  are  found  nnich  more  obtuse. 
The  form  of  the  arch,  indeed,  as  Mr.  Hickman  observes,  is  by  no  means  a 
criterion  for  the  dimensions  of  the  styles,  each  form  being  met  with  in  build- 
ings of  each  style,  except  the  four-centred. 

The  piers  are  distinguished  from  tliose  of  the  other  styles,  by  being  sur- 
rounded with  bands  which  sometimes  are  confined  to  the  shafts,  and  some- 
times are  continued  on  the  pier.     The  capital  is  usually  composed  by  plain 


GOTHIC  ARCHITECTURE.  49 

bold  mouldings,  one  of  Avliich  is  shown  in  the  plate  41,  figs.  4,  7,  where  is 
also  delineated  abase  of  this  style;  figs.  6,  9.  The  plan  of  these  piers  is 
shown  in  figs.  2,  5,  of  the  same  plate ;  the  shaded  part  representing  a  section  of 
the  shaft,  and  the  outline,  a  section,  of  the  base.  A  beautiful  variation  from 
Salisbury  cathedral  is  seen  in  fig.  8. 

The  buttresses  of  this  style  are  chiefly  distinguished  by  their  simplicity, 
having  very  few  setts-off,  and  very  rarely  any  ornament  in  their  places. 
Frequently,  indeed,  as  in  Wells  cathedral,  a  very  early  example  of  this 
style,  they  retain  the  Norman  form,  of  very  broad  faces  with  slight  pro- 
jections, with  a  shaft  inserted  in  the  angles,  and  are  continued  no  higher 
than  the  cornice.  The  flying  buttress  was  not  used  till  late  in  this  style. 
The  ornamental  parts  of  the  style  now  remain  to  be  considered,  which,  till 
near  its  conclusion,  were  but  sparingly  used,  and  those,  for  the  most  part,  of 
a  very  rude  description.  In  the  west  front  of  Wells  and  Peterborough 
cathedrals,  may  be  seen  specimens  of  the  taste  of  the  period  in  these  particu- 
lars, which  are  wholly  unworthy  of  imitation ;  but  in  the  interior  of  Salis- 
bury are  many  details,  late  in  the  style,  which  are  very  elegant,  and  will 
bear  the  most  minute  examination.  It  may  be  sufiicient  to  mention,  that  m 
all  the  ornamental  and  minute  details  during  this  period,  as  well  as  in  more 
important  parts,  the  boldness  and  contempt  of  refinement,  which  are  infalli- 
ble marks  of  an  early  age,  are  very  apparent;  for  which  reason  we  shall 
defer  the  description  of  many  ornamental  details,  which,  nevertheless,  were 
practiced,  and  with  success,  in  the  latter  part  of  this  period,  till  the  next 
style  in  which  they  were  brought  to  perfection. 

There  is,  however,  one  ornament  peculiar  to  this  style  which  it  is  necessary 
to  notice,  before  w^e  proceed  further.  It  resembles  a  low  pyramid,  the  sides 
of  which  are  pierced  in  the  form  of  curvilinear  triangles,  bending  inwards. 
It  is  usually  placed  upon  a  hollow  moulding,  from  which  it  is  sometimes  de- 
tached, except  at  the  angles.  It  has,  as  yet,  received  no  regular  appellation, 
on  account  of  its  being  so  unlike  any  other  object  as  to  be  described,  or  even 
delineated  with  difficulty,  and  we  believe  it  must  be  seen  to  be  accurately 


50  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

comprclicnded.  The  only  alteinpt  at  designation  it  has  received  is,  the 
toothed  ornament.  The  reason  for  applying  such  a  name  to  it  avc  leave  for 
the  ingenuity  of  the  reader  to  discover. 

Tlic  Early  English  style  of  Gothic  architecture  may,  wc  think,  \Yithout 
impropriety,  be  compared  to  the  Doric  order  of  the  Greeks.  Like  that,  it  is 
the  first  attempt  of  a  people  emerging  from  barbarism;  and,  like  that,  it 
possesses  all  those  qualities  which  it  is  natural  to  expect  from  such  a  slate  of 
society.  Strength  and  simplicity  are  its  predominating  ciiaracteristics; 
ornament,  except  the  more  bold  and  artless,  is  foreign  to  its  nature,  and  can 
never  be  introduced  with  propriety.  For  this  I'eason,  it  may  be  employed 
with  great  advantage  in  churches,  where  the  saving  of  expense  is  an  object ; 
as  a  finer  effect  may  be  produced  by  the  use  of  this  style,  than  of  any  other 
whatever  for  equal  expense.  Of  the  fitness  of  Gothic  architecture  for 
ecclesiastical  edifices,  we  presume  it  is  now  needless  to  say  much.  The 
circumstance  of  its  having  had  its  origin  in  Christian  worship,  and  its  con- 
sequent adaptation  to  its  ceremonies,  i(s  fitness  for  the  climate,  and  its  devo- 
tional effect  upon  people  in  general,  seem  to  point  it  out  as  peculiarly  ap- 
propriate for  this  service. 

In  exterior  effect,  Gothic  architecture  is  very  defective,  and  never  more  so 
than  in  this  style.  We  have,  indeed,  scarcely  one  front  which  is  at  all 
reconcilcable  with  good  taste.  That  of  Salisbury  cathedral  is  generally 
admired,  but  we  can  see  no  reason  for  the  preference.  A  consciousness  of 
this  defect  of  the  style,  led  the  architect  of  that  of  Peterborough  cathedral  to 
make  use  of  a  singular  expedient.  Three  ponderous  arches,  supported  by 
triangular  piers,  receive  the  weight  of  three  gables,  and  at  each  lateral 
extremity  is  a  square  turret,  containing  a  stair-case,  and  surmounted  by  a 
spire,  such  as  has  already  been  described.  The  effect  of  the  composition 
is  grand,  but  it  is  not  worthy  of  imitation.  A  field  is  thus  offered  for 
the  exercise  of  modern  iinention,  which,  as  this  kind  of  architecture  is  better 
understood,   it  is  hoped  will  not  be  neglected ;    much   has  been   done,  but 


THE   DECORATED  ENGLISH  STYLE.  51 

something,  we  conceive,  remains  to  be  done,  to  render  it  a  worthy  and 
formidable  competitor  with  the  long'  practiced  and  deeply  studied  architec- 
ture of  Greece  and  Rome. 

The  style  next  in  order  to  the  Early  English  is  denominated,  by  Mr. 
Rickman,  Decorated  English,  as  possessing  a  greater  degree  of  delicacy  than 
the  former,  without  the  excessive  detail  of  the  style  which  succeeded  it.  It 
ceased  to  be  used  soon  after  the  death  of  Edward  III.,  which  happened  in 
1307.  Its  prominent  feature  is  also  found  in  its  Avindows,  with  which,  there- 
fore, we  shall  commence  our  description. 

The  windows  of  this  style  are  distinguished  from  those  of  tlie  last  by  being 
larger,  and  divided  into  lights  by  slender  upright  stones  called  muUions.  Of 
decorated  windows  there  are  two  descriptions.  1.  Where  the  mullions 
branch  out  into  geometrical  figures,  and  are  all  of  equal  size  and  shape,  and, 
2.  Where  they  are  dispersed  through  the  head  in  curves  in  various  descrip- 
tions, which  is  called  flowing  tracery,  and  are  usually  in  windows  of  more 
than  three  lights,  of  different  size  and  shape,  the  principal  mullions  forming 
simple  figures,  subdivided  by  the  inferior  ones.  Sometimes  the  principal 
mullions  are  faced  by  slender  shafts,  with  bases  and  capitals.  The  first 
description  is  considered  the  oldest;  the  principal  example  which  contains 
this  kind  of  window  is  Exeter  cathedral,  where  they  are  very  large  and 
nearly  all  composed  of  this  kind  of  tracery.  The  flowing  tracery,  which 
composes  the  greater  number  of  windows  of  this  style,  AviU  be  better  under- 
stood by  reference  to  the  plate,  than  by  any  description  we  could  give;  a 
small  one  is  delineated  at  plate  42,  fig.  1,  of  which  the  form  is  copied  from 
one  at  Sleaford  church,  Lincolnshire.  A  specimen  of  the  application  of  the 
same  feature  to  larger  windows  may  be  seen  in  the  view,  in  which  the  small 
one  forms  part  of  the  composition.     The  architraves  are  commonly  enriched 


52  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

by  mouldings,  which  sometimes  assume  the  form  of  columns,  aiul  the  Avin- 
dows  in  composition  frequently  reach  from  pier  to  pier.  The  form  of  the 
arch  is  seldom  more  acute  than  that  described  on  the  equilateral  triangle, 
and  it  is  generally  more  obtuse.  The  richness  of  these  windows  invariably 
depends  upon  their  size,  tlie  distance  between  the  muUions  being  nearly  the 
same  in  all;  the  largest,  however,  do  not  consist  of  more  than  nine  lights. 
The  drip-stone  is,  in  this  style,  improved  into  an  elegant  canopy,  the  form  of 
which  is  sometimes  pedimental,  and  sometimes  an  ogee  arch.  It  is  decorated 
with  crockets  and  a.  fihial,  and  the  space  inclosed  by  it,  and  the  exterior 
contour  of  the  arch,  is  sometimes  filled  with  tracery.  The  great  west 
window  of  York  cathedral,  one  of  the  finest  in  Great  Britain,  has  a  trian- 
gular one.  The  circular  window  was  also  brought  to  perfection  in  this 
style.  A  fine  example  in  form,  though  not  in  detail,  is  now  all  that  remains 
of  the  ancient  palace  of  the  Bishops  of  Winchester  in  Bankside,  Southwark. 
This  is  of  the  geometrical  description;  one  of  the  finest  of  flowing  tracery  is 
in  the  south  transept  of  Lincoln  cathedral. 

The  doors  of  this  style  are  not  so  distinct  as  the  windows,  from  those  of 
the  former  period ;  double  doors  are  not  so  frequent,  and  the  shafts  are  not 
detached  from  the  mouldings,  as  in  the  Early  English.  In  small  doors  there 
is  frequently  no  column,  but  the  mouldings  of  the  arch  are  carried  down  the 
sides  without  interruption;  there  is  frequently  no  base  moulding,  but  a 
plain,  sloped  face  to  receive  the  architrave.  They  arc  surmounted  by  the 
same  sort  of  canopies  as  the  windows. 

The  steeples  of  this  period  are  distinguished  from  those  of  the  last  in  little 
more  than  their  windows,  and  a  few  uninq^ortant  details.  The  north-west 
spire  of  Peterborough  cathedral,  before  described,  decidedly  belongs  to  it, 
though  the  tower  beneath  is  Early  English.  The  tower  and  spire  of 
Newark  church,  Lincolnshire,  arc  pointed  out  by  Mr.  Kickman  as  a  pecu- 
liarly fine  example. 

The  groining    of  the  ceiling  will  be  understood  by  referring  to  plate  41, 


THE   DECORATED  ENGLISH  STYLE.  53 

where  the  groinings  are  seen  springing  from  upper  part  of  the  caps,  figs.  4  and 
7.  Fig.  4  is  the  groining  of  the  nave  of  York  cathedral,  the  purest  example 
of  equal  richness.  Most  frequently,  however,  the  nicely  decorated  ribs  are 
omitted,  and  the  rib  from  pier  to  pier,  with  the  cross  springers,  and  the 
longitudinal  and  transverse  ribs  only  are  employed.  At  the  intersection  of 
these,  bosses,  or  sculptured  ribs,  are  almost  invariably  placed.  The  aisle- 
roofs  are  very  rarely  enriched  Avith  superfluous  ribs,  hut  those  of  Redcliff 
church,  Bristol,  are  elegant  exceptions. 

Of  arches  little  can  be  said.  Of  their  forms  it  may  be  sufficient  to  observe, 
that  the  lancet  arch  is  rarely  to  be  met  with  ;  the  Tudor  never,  but  in  one 
instance,  — the  nave  of  Westminster  cathedral,  — built,  or  rather  cased,  by 
the  celebrated  William  of  Wyckham  ;  and  it  is  here  necessarily  adopted  on 
account  of  the  form  of  the  Norman  arch,  it  was  employed  to  conceal.  TJje 
mouldings  are  in  general  less  numerous,  and,  consequently,  less  bold  than 
those  of  the  preceding  style.  In  small  works,  the  ogee  arch  is  frequently 
found,  and  decorated  with  crockets,  and  a  finial.  One  of  these  is  shown  in 
plate  42,  fig.  2. 

The  piers  of  this  style  are,  for  the  most  part,  square  in  their  general  form, 
and  placed  diagonally;  two  variations  of  these  are  shown  in  the  plate  41, 
figs.  6,  9.  That  marked  3,  is  from  Exeter  cathedral,  and  6,  from  the  nave 
of  that  of  York;  both  are  pure  and  beautiful  examples.  The  shafts  are 
sometimes  filleted;  that  is,  a  square  and  narrow  face  is  continued  vertically 
along  its  surface,  projecting  slightly  from  it.  The  capitals  are  frequently 
enriched  with  foliage,  and  the  bases,  in  many  instances,  consist  of  reversed 
ogees,  with  square  faces  of  various  projections,  and  sometimes  other  mould- 
ings. Decorated  English  buttresses  are  distinguished  from  those  of  the  last 
style,  which  are  most  applicable  to  it,  only  by  their  greater  richness,  in 
buildings  where  decorations  are  not  spared;  and,  consequently,  in  others  they 
are  perhaps  the  least  characteristic  parts  of  the  composition.  They  are, 
however,  usually  finished  by  pinnacles,  which  are  generally  distinguished 


54  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

from  those  of  the  former  style.  The  flying  buttress  is  almost  invariably  used, 
and  also  surmounted  by  a  pinnacle,  which  usually  corresponds  with  the 
lower  one.  The  buttresses  of  the  aisles  of  Exeter  cathedral  are  remarkable 
for  being  detached  from  the  wall,  the  only  support  they  afford  to  which  is  by 
the  arches  which  connect  them  with  it  at  the  top. 

The  parapets  of  this  style  are  sometimes  horizontal,  and  sometimes  em- 
battled, each  of  which  is  frequently  pierced  in  the  form  of  cinquefoil  headed 
arches,  quatrefoils,  and  triangles.  Sunk  panels  are,  however,  more  common. 
When  plain  embattled  parapets  are  employed,  the  crowning  mouldings  are 
usually  continued  horizontally  only,  tlie  face  towards  the  opening  being 
merely  a  vertical  section. 

As  many  of  the  ornamental  parts  of  Gothic  architecture  were  brought  to 
perfection  during  this  period,  they  cannot  be  better  introduced  than  in  this 
place.  Among  these,  the  use  of  crockets  is  a  prominent  feature;  these  are 
small  bunches  of  foliage  running  up  the  side  of  the  gabkt,  afterwards  im- 
proved into  the  ogee  canopy  over  doors,  windows,  and  ornamental  arches, 
and  finished  by  a  combination  of  tw^o  or  more,  called  fmial,  whicli  is  separat- 
ed from  the  rest  by  a  small  moulding.  They  are  also  used  to  decorate  the 
angles  of  pinnacles.  The  upper  part  of  a  canopy  of  this  description  is  shown 
in  plate  42,  fig.  2,  from  which  these  ornaments  will  be  better  understood  than 
from  any  description.  Another  peculiarity  of  Gothic  architecture  is  the 
feathering  of  windows,  screen  work,  ornamental  arches,  panels,  and  some- 
times doors.  It  is  called  trefoil,  quatrefoil,  or  cinquefoil,  according  to  the 
number  of  segments  of  circles,  which  are  called  cusp.s,  of  which  it  is  com- 
posed. The  method  of  drawing  it  may  be  seen  from  the  window  in  the  plate. 
A  very  beautiful  door,  thus  ornamented,  still  exists  in  St.  Stephen's  chapel, 
Westminster,  now  the  Mouse  of  Commons. 

Although  the  grotesque  is  the  prevailing  character  of  the  sculpture  em- 
ployed in  the  decoration  of  Gothic  architecture,  many  small  ornaments  are 
found,  particularly  in  this  style,  designed  with  taste,  and  executed  with  the 


THE   PERPENDICULAR  STYLE.  55 

utmost  delicacy.     They  are  copied  from  the  heautiful,  though  humhle  flowers 
of  the  field,  and  are,  in  many  instances,  local. 

We  have  compared  the  former  style  to  the  Doric  of  the  Greeks,  and  the 
present  may,  with  less  propriety,  be  likened  to  the  Ionic  of  the  same  people. 
Boldness  and  simplicity  characterize  the  first;  elegance  and  delicacy  the 
second.  In  both  Greek  and  Gothic  orders,  ornament  to  profusion  is  allow- 
able; yet  in  neither  does  it  interfere  with  the  composition,  and  may  be 
entirely  omitted.  From  this  circumstance  arises  a  universal  applicability, 
belonging  only  to  the  far-famed  happy  medium,  so  often  talked  of,  so  seldom 
attained.  In  grandeur  of  composition,  simplicity  of  arrangement,  elegance  of 
form,  and  perfection  of  capability,  this  style  is,  therefore,  unrivalled,  and  may 
be  used,  with  advantage,  for  every  purpose  of  civil  architecture.  It  is,  how- 
ever, peculiarly  adapted  for  all  churches  whose  size  and  situation  render 
them  of  importance;  and  in  such  large  buildings,  where  Gothic  architecture 
may  be  thought  desirable,  as  are  of  sufficient  consequence  to  allow  the 
architect  to  think  of  delicacy  in  the  design  of  his  details. 

©l)c  PcrpcnMcuIar  0ti)le. 

The  last  of  the  grand  divisions  of  Gothic  architecture  is  the  Perpendicular 
Style,  introduced  as  the  preceding  fell  into  di.suse,  and  finally  overwhelmed  by 
its  own  superfluity  of  decoration,  and  uncompromising  minuteness.  It  was  not 
wholly  lost  sight  of  before  the  reign  of  James  I.,  but  few  buildings  were  then 
erected  without  a  mixture  of  Italian  work. 

The  Perpendicular  Style,  like  the  others,  is  most  readily  distinguished  by 
its  windows,  whence  it  also  derives  its  appellation;  the  muUions  of  which, 
instead  of  being  finished  in  flowing  lines,  or  geometrical  figures,  are  carried 
perpendicularly  into  the  head.  They  are  further  distinguished  by  a  transom, 
or  cross-mullion,  to  break  the  height,  under  which  is  usually  a  feathered 
arch,  and  sometimes   it  is  ornamented  above  by  small  battlements.     The 


56  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

architraves  of  windows  in  this  style  have  seldom  shafts  or  mouldings,  as  in 
the  former,  but  are  worked  plain,  and,  frequently,  with  a  large  hollow. 
Although  these  windows  do  not  admit  of  any  great  variety  in  the  disposition 
of  the  tracery,  they  are  far  more  numerous  than  those  of  either  of  the  other 
styles;  few  specimens  of  which  remain  that  do  not  bear  marks  in  their  win- 
dows of  the  rage  for  alterations  which  appears  to  have  prevailed  during  this 
period. 

The  doors  of  this  style  are  remarkably  varied  from  those  of  the  preceding 
ones,  by  the  arch's  being  finished  by  a  horizontal  moulding,  which  is  continued 
down  to  the  springing  of  the  arch,  and  then  shortly  returned.  This  is  called 
a  label.  The  space,  enclosed  by  it  and  the  exterior  line  of  the  arch,  is  called 
the  spandrel,  which  is  conunonly  filled  with  a  circle  enclosing  a  quatrefoil 
and  other  circular  ornaments. 

The  steeples  of  this  style  are,  for  the  most  part,  extremely  rich ;  spires 
are  seldom  met  with,  but  lanterns  are  frequently  used.  A  lantern  is  a  turret 
placed  above  a  building,  and  pierced  with  windows,  so  as  to  admit  light  into 
the  space  below.  This  is  sometimes  placed  on  the  top  of  a  tower,  as  at 
Boston,  and  supported  with  flying  buttresses  springing  from  it,  and  some- 
times constitutes  the  tower  itself,  as  at  York,  Peterborough,  and  Ely  cathe- 
drals, where  it  is  placed  at  the  intersection  of  the  cross,  and  has  a  very  fine 
effect.  The  exterior  angles  are  frequently  concealed  by  octagonal  turrets 
containing  stair-cases,  but  are  usually  strengthened  by  buttresses,  either  double 
or  diagonal.  A  most  beautiful  finish  for  a  steeple  is  found  in  that  of  the 
Church  of  Newcastle  upon  Tyne;  where  a  small,  square  tower,  eacli  side  of 
which  is  nearly  occupied  by  a  window,  surmounted  by  a  spire,  is  wholly 
supported  by  arch  buttresses,  .springing  from  the  pinnacle  of  (he  great  tower. 
This  is  copied  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren,  in  the  Church  of  St.  Dunstan's  in 
the  East;  which  though,  in  workmanship  and  detail,  it  is  far  inferior  to  the 
original,  excels  it  in  the  proportion  it  bears  to  the  rest  of  the  composition. 

Groining,   in    perpendicular   work,   assumes   a   new   and    more    delicate 


THE   PERPENDICULAR  STYLE.  57 

character.  A  number  of  small  ribs,  diverging  from  a  centre,  are  carried  up 
in  the  form  of  one  side  of  a  pointed  arch,  and  terminated  equidistantly  from 
that  centre  by  a  semicircle.  As  they  recede  from  the  point,  they  are  divided 
by  smaller  ribs  or  mullions,  and  these  again  are  subdivided,  according  to  the 
size  of  the  roof,  so  as  to  make  all  the  panels  of  nearly  equal  size.  These 
panels  are  ornamented  with  feathered  arches,  &c.,  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  windows,  in  conformity  to  which  the  whole  is  designed.  The  intervals 
between  these  semicircles  are  filled  with  tracery  of  the  same  description. 
This  kind  of  roof  is  called  fan  tracery;  it  is  exquisitely  beautiful,  and  almost 
the  only  kind  of  groining  used  in  this  style.  Another  description  of  roof 
must  now  be  mentioned,  of  very  diflferent  character;  this  is  the  timber  roof, 
of  which  Westminster  Hall  presents  so  magnificent  an  example.  Here  the 
actual  timbers  of  the  roof  are  so  arranged  as  to  form  an  architectural  combi- 
nation of  great  beauty;  a  wooden  arch  springs  from  each  side  of  the  building, 
supporting  a  pointed  central  one,  finished  downwards  with  pendants.  The 
rest  of  the  framing  is  filled  with  pierced  panelling.  This  kind  of  roof  is  not 
found  in  churches,  but  it  seems  well  adapted  for  large  halls  for  public  busi- 
ness, or  any  place  intended  for  the  occasional  reception  of  large  meetings. 

The  arch.,  in  late  perpendicular  work,  is  generally  low  in  proportion  to  its 
breadth,  and  is  described  from  centres ;  this  is  called  the  Tudor  arch,  from  its 
having  been  principally  in  use  under  the  reign  of  two  princes  of  that  family. 
Besides  this  distinction  in  the  form  of  the  arch,  there  is  an  important  one  in 
the  arrangement  of  the  mouldings,  which  are  carried  down  the  architrave 
without  being  broken  by  a  capital ;  and  sometimes  there  is  one  shaft  with 
the  capital  and  the  others  without. 

The  iners  are  remarkable  for  their  depth  in  proportion  to  their  width; 
frequently  there  is  a  flat  face  of  considerable  breadth  in  the  Inside  of  the 
arch,  and  a  shaft  in  front  running  up  to  support  the  groining.  The  capitals, 
when  there  are  any,  are  generally  composed  with  plain  mouldings;  but  there 
is  sometimes  a  four-leaved  square  flower  placed  in  the  hollow. 


58  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Tlic  buttresses  and  pmnaeles  contain  little  remarkable,  and  are  only  distin- 
guished from  those  of  the  last  style  by  their  extraneous  ornaments,  if  they 
have  any ;  the  buttresses  are  sometimes  panelled,  and  in  some  very  late  spec- 
imens, the  pinnacles  are  in  the  form  of  domes,  of  which  the  contour  is  an 
ogee  arch. 

The  parapets  of  this  style  are  generally  embattled  and  pierced;  they  are 
worked  with  great  delicacy  in  the  form  of  quatrefoil  circles,  &c. 

Tlie  ornament  of  the  Perpendicular  Style  is  well  characterized  by  the 
name,  many  buildings  being,  as  Mr.  Rickman  observes,  nothing  but  a  series 
of  vertical  panelling.  "For  example,"  says  he,  "King's  College  chapel  is  all 
panel,  except  the  floor;  for  the  doors  and  windows  are  nothing  but  pierced 
panels,  included  in  the  general  design ;  and  the  very  roof  is  a  series  of  them 
in  diflerent  shapes."  Monotony  is  inseparable  from  such  an  arrangement; 
grandeur  is  incompatible  with  it,  and  the  appearance  of  it  is  a  certain  prog- 
nostic of  decline  in  whatever  is  marked  by  its  introduction.  A  beautiful 
small  ornament,  peculiar  to  this  style,  is  the  Tudor  flower,  which  is  a  series 
of  square  flowers  placed  diagonally,  and  frequently  attached,  connected  at 
the  bottom  by  semicircles;  the  lower  interstices  are  filled  with  some  smaller 
ornament.  This  is  principally  employed  as  a  finish  to  cornices,  in  orna- 
mental work. 

With  whatever  justice  the  preceding  styles  have  been  compared  with  the 
Doric  and  Ionic  orders  of  Grecian  architecture,  the  comparison  does  not 
hold  between  the  present  and  the  Corinthian.  The  former  is  a  necessary 
gradation  in  the  art,  and  is  applicable  to  compositions  of  any  size.  The 
latter  is  not  necessary,  and  is  unpleasing,  except  in  small  works.  The  change 
from  the  graceful  forms  of  the  decorated  windows  to  inelegant,  artless, 
straight  lines;  the  alteration  in  the  form  of  the  arch,  which  is  a  deviation  from 
one  of  the  leading  principles  of  Gothic  architecture,  and,  above  all,  that  inor- 
dinate passion  for  ornament  and  minutia;,  which,  like  excessive  rcfiiienient  in 
other  matters,  is  a  certain  mark  of  the  decay  of  true  taste;    in  short,  almost 


ARCHITECTURE   OF  AMERICA.  69 

ev'ery  peculiarity  in  this  style  indicates  approaching  dissolution.  These  circum- 
stances, however,  which  render  the  perpendicular  style  so  objectionable  for 
large  buildings,  make  it  peculiarly  appropriate  for  small  and  confined  parts 
of  a  building,  such  as  chapels  and  domestic  apartments,  when  Gothic  archi- 
tecture is  preferred.  For  the  latter  purpose,  we  fear,  indeed,  it  is  ill  adapted 
in  any  shape ;  all  its  peculiarities  seem  to  point  at  magnificence  and  imposing 
effect,  with  which  magnitude  is  inseparably  connected,  as  their  ultimate 
objects  and  the  most  proper  field  for  their  display ;  and  with  the.se  qualities, 
it  is  well  known  domestic  comfort  has  little  in  common.  The  confined 
space  in  which  the  latter  can  alone  be  enjoyed,  is  ill  reconcileable  with  the 
interminable  vistas  and  lofty  proportions,  by  many  considered  as  the  perfec- 
tion of  the  former.  It  is,  however,  not  only  proper,  but  necessary,  in  some 
cases,  to  employ  the  Gothic  in  the  decoration  of  apartments,  and  where  this 
happens,  this  style  ig  decidedly  preferable. 

It  has  been  truly  observed  by  an  ingenious  writer  on  the  subject  of  English 
architecture,  that  it  can  in  no  case  be  advantageously  blended  with  the 
Grecian,  differing,  as  it  does,  so  essentially  in  its  component  parts.  The 
Grecian  style  is  designated  by  horizontal  lines,  supported  on  columns,  and  by 
the  entablature  and  its  component  parts,  while  the  Gothic  is  dependent  on  per- 
pendicular lines,  and  arches  variously  decorated,  for  the  leading  feature  in  its 
composition;  as  may  plainly  appear  by  con.sulting  the  best  Grecian  examples, 
and  comparing  them  with  the  Decorated  English,  justly  bearing  the  appella- 
tion here  given  by  that  able  writer  on  this  subject,  Mr.  Rickman. 

^rcl)ttccturc  of  QVmmca. 

The  architecture  of  our  country  is  at  present  in  a  very  undefined,  we  may 
almost  say  in  a  chaotic  state,  though  it  has,  since  the  commencement  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  undergone  much  improvement.  It  is  now  but  about  two 
hundred  years,  not  so  long  as  many  of  the  finest  specimens  of  European 


60  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

architecture  liave  been  standing,  since  a  band  of  Pilgrims,  driven  by  perse- 
cution from  their  native  country,  hmdcd  upon  these  Avestern  shores,  and 
found  a  vast  expanse  of  wilderness,  stretching  from  one  ocean  to  the  other 
in  breadth,  and  in  length  almost  from  the  northern  to  the  southern  pole. 
Our  country  was  then  literally  the  new  world.  It  was  in  a  perfect  state  of 
nature ;  and  art  had  left  scarcely  a  foot-print  on  its  soil.  The  savage,  with 
barely  .skill  enough  to  .shape  his  rude  bow,  to  break  the  flint  to  a  point  for  his 
arrow-head,  and  to  peel  the  bark  from  the  forest  trees  for  his  hut,  was  its 
only  inhabitant.  And  tliose  men,  who,  for  freedom  of  opinion,  had  fled  from 
civilized  Europe,  landed  here  in  the  commencement  of  a  severe  winter, 
bringing  with  them  but  few  recollections  which  could  endear  them  to  the 
things  they  had  left.  The  hardships  and  persecutions  they  had  so  long 
endured  had  chastened  (heir  spirits,  and  imbued  them  with  a  formal  stiffness 
and  austerity,  which  manifested  itself  in  all  their  works,  and  in  notliing  more 
than  in  the  simple  severity  of  their  architecture.  They  appear  to  have 
been  desirous  of  entirely  obliterating  the  memory  of  the  magnificent 
churches,  and  pompous  ceremonials,  attendant  on  the  worship  of  their 
oppressors ;  and,  in  the  meeting-house  of  the  Puritans,  we  see  not  this  division 
of  nave,  transept,  and  choir ;  chancel  and  altar  are  lost,  as  well  as  the  clus- 
tering columns  and  intersecting  arche.s,  which  seem  as  if 

"  Some  fairy's  hand 
'Twixt  poplars  straight,  the  ozier  wand, 
In  many  a  prankish  knot,  had  twined ; 
Then  framed  a  spell,  when  the  work  was  done, 
And  changed  the  willow  wreaths  to  stone-" 

Those  beauties  of  England's  Gothic  churches,  as  well  as  the  more  chaste 
and  simple,  and  yet  more  enduring  elegance  of  the  Grecian  temples,  were 
never  copied  by  them.  And  there  were  other  reasons  why  the  beauties  of 
ornamental  architecture  have,  in  our  country,  been  so  long  neglected.     Tiie 


ARCHITECTURE   OF  AMERICA.  61 

landing  of  the  Puritans  on  our  shores,  made  an  era  in  the  annals  of  the 
world,  a  luminous  point  in  the  path  of  civilization,  whence  we  may  date  the 
commencement  of  an  age;  and  the  spirit  of  this  new  age  is  an  enterprising 
spirit.  Men  leave  their  homes,  plunge  into  the  dense  forest,  find  a  stream 
whose  banks,  perhaps,  the  foot  of  a  white  man  never  before  trod,  erect  a 
mill  whose  plashing  wheel  and  whizzing  saws  soon  tell  that  the  forester's 
axe  has  found  work  abroad ;  and  the  mill,  in  turn,  makes  busy  the  echoing 
hammer,  which  now  reigns  throughout  the  village,  from  early  morn  to  dewy 
eve;  and,  in  a  few  days,  we  may  say,  a  mimic  city  has  arisen,  where  no 
dwelling  but  the  Indian  hut  was  ever  before  seen.  True,  it  is  a  city  of 
shingle  palaces,  erected  to  endure  but  for  a  generation.  But  the  spirit  of  the 
age  is  locomotive.  The  people  of  this  age  are  a  transient  people,  flitting 
from  place  to  place ;  and  each  builds  a  hut  for  himself,  not  for  his  successors. 
Railways  and  canals  are  fast  spanning  the  continent.  Our  sons  and  daughters 
live  abroad,  and  look  out  for  rapid  vehicles  rather  than  abiding  dwelling-places. 
Nought  is  here  heard  of  those  immense  fortunes  which  have  been  accumu- 
lating for  centuries  in  one  family,  and  which,  invested  in  massive  castles  or 
gorgeous  palaces,  with  park  and  forest,  have  descended,  entailed,  from 
generation  to  generation,  and  been  renewed,  added  to,  and  beautified  by 
each  successive  occupant.  Fortunes  are  here,  as  it  were,  made  and  lost  in  a 
day ;  and  funds,  invested  in  real  property,  though  safe,  are  slowest  in  turning. 
Indeed,  building  has  never  been  a  favorite  mode,  with  our  people,  for  invest- 
ment; and  domestic  architecture  has,  therefore,  suffered  much.  But  it  is 
already  beginning  to  improve,  as  many  chaste  and  beautiful  specimens  in  our 
immediate  neighborhood  testify.  This  spirit  of  improvement,  however,  is 
principally  manifested  in  the  designs  and  materials  of  our  public  buildings; 
among  which  we  have  many  that  might  challenge  the  admiration  of  the 
European  connoisseur.  We  want  not  now  for  models  to  be  found  in  our 
own  country  of  the  purest  Grecian,  or  the  more  beautiful  Gothic,  and  surely 
we  want  not  for  materials.     Among  our  public  buildings,  the  Capitol   at 


62  IIURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Washington  is  deserving  of  notice.  Simple  and  elegant  in  its  interior,  its 
exterior  is  beautiful  and  imposing.  The  domes  over  the  wings  rise  with  an 
elegant  and  gracelul  curve,  and  may  be  considered  almost  perfect  specimens 
of  that  most  dillicult  branch  of  ornamental  architecture.  "Were  the  same 
graceful  elevation  given  to  the  centre  dome,  it  would  add  much  to  the 
beauty  of  tlie  building.  In  Piiiladelphia  we  have  the  United  States  Bank, 
a  faultless  specimen  of  the  pure  Doric ;  classic,  chaste,  and  simple  in  its  pro- 
portions, it  is  a  building  of  which  we  may  well  be  proud.  Philadelphia  may 
also  boast  of  her  Exchange,  and  the  Mint;  both  of  which,  built  of  white 
marble,  in  a  style  to  suit  the  material,  have  a  very  imposing  appearance. 

The  Girard  College,  too,  Avhen  completed,  will  be  a  magnificent  specimen 
of  the  Corinthian  order.  The  Custom  House,  at  New  York,  built  of  white 
marble  in  the  Grecian  style,  is  the  finest  building  in  the  city ;  and  the  new 
building  for  tiie  University,  is  a  beautiful  specimen  of  the  Gothic  style.  In 
Boston  we  have  many  beautiful  buildings,  but  few  of  pure  architecture. 
Trinity  Church,  in  Summer  street,  is  built  of  rough  granite  in  the  Gothic 
style.  The  front  is  beautiful,  massive,  and  imposing  in  its  appearance,  but 
the  sides  belong  to  an  age  of  the  Gothic  different  from  the  front ;  the  interior 
excels  that  of  any  other  church  in  our  city,  in  beauty;  the  walls  painted  in 
fresco,  the  graceful  and  well-proportioned  clusters  of  pillars,  the  oaken 
wood-work,  and  the  ornamented  chancel,  give  it  a  magnificent  appearance. 
But  the  central  arch  of  the  roof  is  altogether  out  of  proportion,  and,  if  con- 
structed of  any  heavy  material,  could  not  support  its  own  weight;  it 
certainly  adds  no  beauty,  but  rather  takes  from  that  of  the  other  portions. 
The  new  building  for  the  Library,  and  the  Unitarian  Church,  at  Cambridge, 
are  among  our  best  specimens  of  (iotliic  architecture,  and  we  can  only  wish 
the  church  had  been  built  of  more  durable  materials.  We  have  many 
graceful  and  elegant  spires,  both  upon  our  city  churches  and  those  in  our 
vicinity.  That  of  the  Federal  Street  Church,  which  is  l)uilt  in  the 
Gothic  style,  is  a  model  much   to   be  admired.     Among  our  .specimens  of 


ARCHITECTURE    OF   AMERICA.  63 

Doric,  worthy  of  mention,  are  the  new  Custom  House,  the  United  States 
Branch  Bank,  the  Hospital  at  Rainsford  Island,  the  Washington  Bank,  and 
Q,uincy  Market,  a  plain  but  noble  structure  of  Iiewn  granite,  about  five 
hundred  feet  in  length,  constructed  by,  and  an  honor  to,  our  city.  The 
Stone  Chapel,  at  the  corner  of  School  and  Tremont  streets,  is  our  oldest 
specimen  of  the  Ionic  order.  We  have,  also,  of  the  same  order,  St.  Paul's 
Church,  the  Suffolk  Bank,  and  Tremont  Theatre.  The  facade  of  the  theatre 
is  chaste  and  dignified,  but  the  roof  is  too  steep  for  that  order.  The  front  of 
Central  Church,  in  Winter  street,  and  the  rotunda  of  the  Merchants'  Ex- 
change, are  of  the  Corinthian  style. 

We  have  already  trespassed  on  the  limits  usually  assigned  to  a  preface, 
but  we  hope  not  unnecessarily  so.  Want  of  space  prevents  our  saying  as 
much  on  domestic  architecture  as  we  would  wish,  in  this  part  of  the  volume. 
But  that  is  a  branch  of  the  art  which,  is  yet  in  its  infancy  among  us,  and  a 
part  upon  which,  if  we  should  only  write  a  page  or  two  here,  the  little  con- 
tained in  that  page  or  two,  would  only  serve  to  show  the  need  of  more. 

We  would  only  suggest,  that  in  constructing  a  dwelling-house,  the  con- 
venience and  comfort  of  the  interior  should  ever  receive  more  attention  than 
the  exterior  elegance  and  symmetry ;  and  that  the  beauty  of  a  private  house 
consists  not  so  much  in  the  nearness  of  its  resemblance  to  a  Grecian  temple, 
a  Chinese  pagoda,  or  a  Gothic  church,  as  in  its  fitness  for  the  purpose  for 
which  it  is  designed.  It  is  necessary,  above  all  things,  to  remember  that 
houses  are  made  to  live  in,  and  the  convenience  of  their  inmates  is  the  first 
thing  to  be  considered ;  after  that,  ornament  may  be  added. 

It  has  been  our  design,  in  preparing  this  work  for  the  press,  to  add  the 
little  in  our  power  towards  establishing  a  pure  and  correct  taste  in  our 
domestic  architecture;  and  if  we  have  succeeded  in  that,  we  shall  consider 
ourselves  more  than  repaid,  in  the  sense  that  we  have  done  our  duty  in  pay- 
ing the  debt  which  every  man  owes  to  his  profession. 


64  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 


PART  III. 

THE  ARRANGEMENT  AND  CONSTRUCTION  OF  DWELLING- 
HOUSES  AND  BUILDINGS  IN  GENERAL. 

We  noAA"  offer  a  few  remark.s  on  Domestic  Architecture. 

With  respect  to  the  situation  of  a  house,  where  choice  is  allowed,  it  is 
obvious  that  the  most  desirable  must  be  that  which  combines  the  advantages 
of  pure  air,  and  protection  from  cold  winds,  with  a  plentiful  supply  of  water, 
convenient  access,  &.c.  As  these  observations,  however,  must  present  them- 
selves to  every  one,  we  shall  not  here  dwell  upon  them,  but  proceed  to 
consider  those  essential  parts  of  a  house,  rooms.  And,  first,  their  effect  upon 
the  exterior  figure  of  a  house. 

The  form  which  gives  the  largest  area  with  the  least  circumference  is 
evidently  a  circle;  but  this  figure,  when  divided  into  apartments,  is  very 
inconvenient,  from  the  numerous  acute  angles  and  broken  curves  which  must 
necessarily  com2)ose  them.  Nearly  the  same  objections  apply  to  the  triangle, 
which  has  the  further  disadvantage  of  occupying  a  smaller  area  with  respect 
to  its  circumference  than  any  other  figure.  Rectangular  forms,  therefore, 
are  best  adapted  for  houses  in  general ;  since,  within  them,  the  divisions  of 
apartments  may  be  made  with  the  greatest  regularity  and  least  waste. 
As  rectangles  are  most  readily  divided  into  rectangles,  this  is  also  the  figure 
which  may  be  employed  to  the  greatest  advantage  in  the  rooms  themselves. 
As  to  the  proportions  of  tliese,  the  length  may  range  from  one  to  one  and  a 
half  breadth.  If  larger  than  this,  the  room  partakes  too  much  of  the  gallery 
form.     The  usual  rule  for  the  height  of  a  room  is,  if  it  be  oblong,  to  make  it 


DOMESTIC  ARCHITECTURE.  65 

as  liigli  as  it  is  broad ;  and  if  square,  from  four  fifths  to  five  sixths  of  the  side 
is  a  good  proportion.  With  regard  to  health,  however,  no  room  should  be 
less  than  ten  feet  in  height.  It  is  obvious,  that  on  a  floor  where  there  are 
many  rooms,  they  must  be  of  various  sizes,  and  to  regulate  them  all  by  archi- 
tectural rules  would  be  productive  of  much  inconvenience.  As,  therefore, 
the  apparent  height  of  a  flat  ceiled  room  is  greater  than  that  of  a  coved  one 
of  equal  altitude,  it  is  usual,  in  these  cases,  to  make  the  larger  rooms  with 
flat  ceilings,  and  the  smaller  ones  with  coved  or  domes.  Apartments  of  state 
of  unusual  size  may  occupy  two  stories. 

With  regard  to  the  decoration  of  ceilings,  a  great  diversity  of  taste  exists. 
At  one  period,  no  ceiling  w^as  thought  to  be  sufficiently  ornamented  unless  it 
was  covered  WMth  paintings,  chiefly  representing  allegorical  subjects.  This 
taste  was  carried  to  a  great  excess,  and  was  the  subject  of  much  ridicule. 
Of  late  years,  ornament  of  any  description  has  been  thought  superfluous,  and 
the  ceiling  has  been  usually  left  completely  bare.  This  is,  however,  giving 
way  to  the  geometrical  decorations  prevalent  during  the  middle  and  latter 
part  of  the  last  century,  which  certainly  give  an  enriched  efTect  to  a  room, 
and  possess  this  advantage  over  every  other  method  of  decoration,  that  they 
are  capable  of  any  degree  of  simplicity  or  richness,  both  in  form  and  detail, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  apartment,  or  quantity  of  decoration  in  it.  For 
rooms  which  are  small,  and  the  ceiling  consequently  near  the  eye,  these 
ornaments  should  be  delicately  worked ;  but  iti  those  of  larger  size  they  re- 
quire to  be  bolder.  The  angles  formed  by  the  ceiling  and  walls  are  con- 
cealed by  cornices,  the  enrichment  of  which  will  of  course  depend  upon  the 
delicacy  or  simplicity  observed  in  the  embellishments  of  the  room. 


66  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

I3oor0. 

The  proportion  for  doors  is  somewhat  over  twice  the  breadth  in  ht-ight,  as 
three  and  seven  feet.  Entrance  doors,  three,  four,  and  seven  feet.  In  case 
of  larger  doors,  for  folding  or  sliding  in  partitions,  or  those  for  public  houses, 
they  should  vary  according  to  the  height  of  stories,  ■niiere  they  are  required 
not  to  exceed  twelve  feet  in  width. 

Doors  for  apartments  should  be  as  near  the  centre  of  partitions  as  con- 
venient. For  a  suite  of  rooms,  the  doors  should  be  nearly  opposite ;  but  in 
no  case  should  they  be  placed  near  the  fire-place,  or  so  as  to  open  opposite 
the  bed,  excepting  those  wjiicli  connect  the  dressing-room  "with  the  bed- 
chamber. 

The  usual  method  of  ornamenting  doors  is  to  fini.sh  the  two  sides  and  top 
with  architraves,  or  fancy  pilasters  —  corner  block  at  the  upper  angles  —  or 
an  entablature,  frieze,  and  cornice;  outside  ones  with  pilasters,  or  attached 
columns,  entablature,  and  cornice. 


iDinb 


0UJ5. 


It  is  obvious,  that  in  arranging  the  windows  of  an  apartment,  it  will  first 
be  necessary  to  decide  on  the  quantity  of  light  required  to  be  admitted.  Sir 
William  Chambers  observes,  that  in  the  course  of  his  own  practice,  he  has 
generally  added  the  depth  and  height  of  room.s  on  the  principal  floors  to- 
gether, and  taken  one  eighth  part  thereof  for  tiie  width  of  tlie  window. 

The  height  of  the  aperture  in  the  principal  floor  should  not  much  exceed 
double  the  width.  In  the  other  stories,  they  are  necessarily  lower  in  propor- 
tion, the  width  containing  the  same.  The  windows  in  modern  houses  are 
frequently  brought  down  to  tiio  floor,  in  imitation  of  tlie  French;  but  where 
this  is  not  the  case,  the  sills  should  be  from  tv»o  feet  four  to  two  feet  six 


CHIMNEY-PIECES.  67 

inches  from  the  floor.  The  windows  of  the  principal  floor  are  generally  the 
most  enriched,  and  the  usual  manner  of  decorating  them  is  by  an  architrave, 
surrounding  them  with  a  frieze  and  cornice,  and  sometimes  a  pediment. 
When  they  are  required  to  be  more  simple,  the  frieze  and  cornice  are  omitted. 
In  a  front,  the  pediments  are,  for  the  sake  of  variety,  often  made  triangular, 
and  curved  alternately,  as  in  the  banqueting-house  at  Whitehall. 

When  windows  are  required  to  be  very  broad  in  proportion  to  their  height, 
the  Venetian  window  is  frequently  employed,  which  consists  of  three  contig- 
uous apertures,  the  centre  one  being  arched.  The  usual  mode  of  executing 
this,  is  by  dividing  the  apertures  by  columns,  and  placing  corresponding  ones  at 
the  extremities  of  the  opening  ;  the  side  apertures  are  covered  by  an  entabla- 
ture, and  the  centre  by  a  semicircular  architrave,  of  which  the  entablature 
forms  the  impost.  In  modern  times,  they  are  finished  without  columns  and 
impost  moulding,  or  arch,  but  have  a  straight  cap;  the  centre,  three  lights 
wide,  and  one  on  each  extremity. 

The  necessary  remarks  on  chimneys,  as  a  part  of  hidlding,  will  be  more 
properly  introduced  in  another  place ;  we  have  here  only  to  consider  them  as 
parts  of  a  room  and  its  decoration. 

With  respect  to  the  situation  of  chimney-pieces,  we  have  already  men- 
tioned that  they  should  be  sufiiciently  removed  from  the  door.  Sir  William 
Chambers  further  advises  that  they  should  be  "  so  situated  as  to  be  imme- 
diately seen  by  those  who  enter,  that  they  may  not  have  the  persons  already 
in  the  room,  who  are  seated  generally  about  the  fire,  to  search  for."  Whether 
the  worthy  knight  had  experienced  personal  inconvenience  from  a  mal- 
disposition  in  this  respect,  we  cannot  tell,  but  do  not  conceive  it  to  be  an 
evil  of  the  first  magnitude. 

The  standard  proportion  of  the  chimney-piece  is  a  square ;  in  larger  rooms 


68  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

somewhat  lower,  and  in  smaller,  a  liltle  higher;  i(s  size  will,  of  course, 
depend  on  the  quantity  of  space  to  be  heated,  but  the  width  of  the  aperture 
should  not  be  less  than  three  feet,  nor  more  than  five  feet  six  inches.  When 
the  size  of  the  apartment  is  considerable,  it  is  better  to  make  two  fire-places. 
In  the  decoration  of  chimney-pieces,  the  utmost  wildness  of  fancy  has  been 
indulged,  but  it  is  certainly  proper  to  regulate  their  ornaments  by  the  style 
of  the  building  to  which  they  belong.  Those  in  which  the  Roman  style 
predumiuates,  arc  designated  much  in  the  same  manner  as  the  windows, 
except  where  magnificence  is  attempted,  in  which  case  caryatides,  termini, 
•Sic,  are  employed.  In  modern  taste,  little  is  done  by  way  of  decoration; 
their  richness  consists  principally  of  beautiful  specimens  of  variegated  marble 
columns  or  pilasters,  and  entablature. 

0tairs. 

"  Stair-cases,"  says  Palladio,  "  will  be  commendable  if  they  are  clear, 
ample,  and  commodious  to  ascend,  inviting  people,  as  it  were,  to  go  up.  They 
will  be  clear,  if  they  have  a  bright  and  equally  diflfused  light;  they  will  be 
sufficiently  ample,  if  they  do  not  seem  scanty,  and  narrow,  to  the  size  and 
quality  of  the  fabric,  but  they  should  never  be  less  than  three  feet  in  width, 
that  two  persons  may  pass  each  other;  they  will  be  convenient  in  respect  to 
the  whole  building,  if  the  arches  under  them  can  be  used  fur  domestic 
purposes;  and,  with  respect  to  persons,  if  their  ascent  is  not  too  sleep  and 
difficult,  to  avoid  which,  the  steps  in  breadth  should  be  nearly  once  and  a 
half  the  height  of  the  rise."  In  modern  dwellings  the  number  of  the  steps 
depends  on  the  height  of  the  story  they  are  intended  to  ascend,  as  galleries  of 
less  height  are  omitted  for  convenience  of  room  and  style  of  composition. 

The  rise  should  not  exceed  eight  inches,  nor  be  less  than  six  inches  in 
height ;  their  top  surfaces  are  sometimes  inclined  for  greater  case  in  ascending. 
The  ancients  were  accustomed  to  make  the  number  of  steps  of  an  odd  number, 


STAIRS.  69 

that  they  might  arrive  at  the  top  with  the  same  foot  that  tlicy  began  the 
ascent  wit!i;  this  arose  from  a  superstitious  idea  of  devotion  in  entering  their 
temples.  Palladio  directs  tliat  the  number  of  steps  should  not  exceed  thirteen 
before  arriving  at  a  resting-place;  the  present  number  of  steps  in  flights  is 
between  thirteen  and  nineteen. 

Stair-cases  are  either  rectilinear  or  curvilinear  in  their  forms ;  the  former 
are  most  usual  in  dwelling-houses,  as  being  more  simple,  and,  in  general, 
executed  with  less  waste  of  material ;  but  the  latter,  which  may  be  either 
circular  or  elliptical,  admit  of  greater  beauty,  if  large,  and  greater  con- 
veniency,  if  small.  Small  stair-cases  of  this  description  are  generally  circu- 
lar, and  have  a  column,  called  a  newel,  in  the  middle;  they  are  constructed 
with  great  simplicity,  the  newel  being  composed  of  one  end  of  the  successive 
steps,  while  the  other  rests  in  the  wall.  They  are  found  in  all  our  country 
churches.  When  ornament  is  studied,  the  steps  may  be  made  curved,  which 
has  a  very  pleasing  effect.  Modern  stair-cases  are  finished  with  a  newel  at 
the  foot  of  the  first  step,  from  si.x:  to  eight  inches  diameter,  richly  carved. 
Where  ample  room  is  allowed,  it  is  usual  to  put  on  a  curtail  step  and  scroll- 
rail,  supported  with  an  iron  newel,  and  up  the  rail  are  several  iron  balusters 
to  secure  the  same. 

In  large  designs,  however,  the  elliptical  is  generally  preferred,  and  is 
capable  of  very  grand  effect,  which  Sir  William  Chambers  has  sufficiently 
shown  in  one  of  the  stair-cases  at  Somerset  Place,  (that  belonging  to  the 
Royal  Society,  and  Society  of  Antiquaries,)  which,  without  any  superfluous 
decoration,  is  a  design  of  uncommon  magnificence,  and  excelled  by  few  of 
the  kind.  The  newel  being  of  a  very  unpleasing  form  in  this  kind  of  stair- 
case, is  an  objection  to  its  use  where  it  is  of  a  small  size. 

Those  stair-cases  which  are  open  in  the  centre,  are  generally  lighted  from 
the  top,  but  where  this  is  impracticable,  the  light  is  admitted  by  windows  in 
the  most  advantageous  position  the  situation  will  allow. 


70  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

(Grecian  Poric. 

PLATES. 

I  have  here  made  use  of  the  Grecian  example,  given  by  Vitruvius,  from  the 
temple  of  Minerva,  on  the  Acropolis  at  Athens,  built  under  the  administra- 
tion of  Pericles,  the  representation  of  which  is  found  in 

Plate  1. 

Fig.  1.  The  proportional  figures  from  the  scale  of  the  column.  Divide  the 
lower  end  into  two  equal  parts;  each  is  called  a  module;  divide  the  module 
into  thirty  parts,  which  are  called  minutes  as  figured  on  the  order;  under  the 
column  //  is  the  height  of  each  member,  and  under  the  colunin  /*  their  pro- 
jections from  a  line  drawn  perpendicular  through  the  centre  of  this  column, 
the  entire  height  of  the  order. 

Fig.  2.     The  scale  of  diameter. 

Fig.  3.     The  lower  part  of  the  same. 

Fig.  4.  The  whole  height  of  the  order,  the  letters  on  the  same  are  refer- 
ences to  the  introduction. 

Plate  2. 

Fig.  1.  A  section  of  the  entablature  showing  the  manner  of  finish  and 
the  form  of  the  mouldings  inside  of  the  portico. 

Fig.  2.  A  section  of  the  column  at  both  ends,  with  twenty  flutes  and  the 
manner  of  striking  th6m;  divide  the  circumference  into  twenty  equal  parts; 
trace  lines  to  the  centre;  with  the  dividers  draw  a  line,  for  the  circumference 
of  the  top,  intersected  by  tlie  radius  a,  b ;  extend  the  dividers  from  c  to  d,  and 
for  the  circumference  of  the  lower  diameter,  to  g ;  and  from  c,  describe  the 
curve  for  the  flute  c,  /;  and,  in  like  manner,  for  the  upper  diameter,  as 
shown  by  g,  e,f. 

Fig.  3.  Represents  the  planceir  with  the  mutules,  having  three  rows  of 
pins,  six  in  each  row,  which  are  said  to  have  arisen  from  the  idea  of  the 
ends  of  rafters  forming  the  roof. 


GRECIAN   DORIC.  71 

Fig.  4.  The  elevation  of  the  triglyphs  containing  two  whole  and  two  half 
channels. 

Fig.  5.  Shows  a  section  of  the  gutta?,  or  drops,  that  are  formed  under  the 
triglyph,  or  under  the  fillet  of  the  architrave. 

Fig.  6.  The  capital  of  column ;  a,  b,  the  annulets  formed  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  ovolo. 

Plate  3. 

Fig.  1.  Grecian  antse;  the  width,  when  connected  with  columns,  is 
governed  by  the  diameter  at  the  end  of  the  column;  they  both  being  equal, 
the  projection  of  each  will  not  materially  differ  ;  but,  on  the  outside  of  build- 
ings, the  breadth  may  be  fifty-five  minutes;  on  the  external  angles  of  porticos, 
they  may  be  twenty-seven  and  a  half  minutes  each,  and  leaving  twenty-four 
minutes  between  the  shaft;  this  will  have  a  very  good  effect  in  large  works. 
The  projections  from  tlie  wall  are  one  fifth,  and  when  inserted  disconnected 
with  columns,  one  fourth  to  one  half  may  be  the  projections;  when  the  com- 
position is  purely  classical,  one  half  will  be  in  the  best  taste. 

Fig.  2.     The  projection  from  the  wall  one  fifth. 

Fig.  5.     The  proportion  of  the  capital,  as  figured  for  practical  use. 

Fig.  3.     The  mensuration  of  another  cap. 

Fig.  4.     The  projection  from  the  wall. 

Fig.  6.     The  proportion  of  the  cap,  as  figured  at  large. 

Plate  4. 

Fig.  1.  Grecian  frontispiece  for  outside  doors,  caps  of  pilasters,  from  plate 
3,  fig.  6. 

Fig-  2.  A  vertical  section  showing  the  return  of  pilaster,  panel,  projection 
of  imposts,  doors,  &c. ;  b,  the  threshold;  a,  a,  a,  steps,  &c.;  j,  the  return  of 
pilasters;  c,  the  panel  and  recess;  d,  the  ceiling  and  the  recess,  with  moulded 
panel;  p,  the  architrave  and  width  of  soffit;  /,  the  frieze  of  entablature;  g, 
the  portion,  backing  up  from  stone  work,  shown  by  dotted  lines ;  e,  the  floor 
timber,  fastened  by  timber-clasps. 


72  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Plate  5. 

Fig.  1.  The  elevation  of  interior  door.  This  style  of  inside  doors,  al- 
though very  plain,  is  much  admired  on  account  of  the  smooth  surface  for 
paint,  the  durability,  and  the  ease  with  which  it  is  kept  clean;  thereby  ren- 
dering it  one  principal  reason  for  adopting  it  for  common  use.  Drawn  one 
inch  to  a  foot;  //,  the  architrave,  with  quatrefoil  rosets  let  into  the  middle 
angle  three  eighths  of  an  inch ;  I,  the  style ;  J,  the  panel ;  K,  the  munnion ; 
N,  N,  the  plinth. 

Fig.  2.  Horizontal  section;  o,  a,  the  jambs;  h,  h,  the  blocking-space;  c,  c, 
the  back  jamb ;  d,  d,  furring. 

Fig.  3.     The  vertical  section,  full  thickness ;  M,  the  rail ;  L,  the  panel. 

Plate  6. 
Fig.  1.     A  horizontal  section  of  one  of  the  jambs,  full  size ;  C,  C,  the  jamb 
and  stop;  D,  D,  the  grounds;  E,  E,  the  lath  and  plastering;  F,  E,  the  archi- 
trave; G,  the  door. 

Plate  7. 

Fig.  1  is  a  horizontal  section  of  a  window-frame,  designed  for  a  frame 
house,  with  board  and  sheathed  walls,  the  outside  casing  flush,  the  blinds 
shut  Hush  with  the  casing ;  and,  when  painted  a  stone  color,  has  a  very 
pleasing  effect  for  a  Doric  house,  and,  at  a  little  distance,  resembles  stone  in 
color,  as  well  as  in  the  style  of  finish  ;  A,  the  pulley-style;  /?,  rough  boarding  ; 
C,  outside  casing;  />,  stud ;  E,  parting-slip;  7^,  parting-bead ;  G,  sash  and 
blind-stop ;  II,  sash-bead  ;  I,  inside  casing ;  J,  back  lining;  A'  furring ;  L,  shut- 
ter-stop; M,  lath  and  plastering;  JV,  pilaster  or  architrave;  O,  O,  shutters. 

Fig.  2.  A  section  of  a  window  designed  for  brick  or  stone  wall ;  a,  brick 
wall;  b,  outside  moulding;  c,  outside  casings;  d,  pulley-style;  e,  parting-slip; 
/,  parting-bead ;  g,  sash-bead ;  h,  box  casing ;  i,  back  casing ;  ;,  furring ; 
k,  edge  casing;  /,  ground;  m,  lath  and  plastering;  n,  architrave. 

Fig.  3.     a,  soffit-bed ;  6,  top  sash-rail ;  c,  style ;  d,  sash-bead  ;  c,  outside  of 


GRECIAN  DORIC.  73 

box ;  /,  wall  moulding;  g.g,  meeting  rails;  //,  bottom  rail;  i,  i,  middle  rails  ; 
j,  wood  sill ;  A",  stone  sill ;  C,  back. 

Plate  8. 

Fig.  1.  The  elevation  of  a  French  window;  a,  a,  a,  a,  sash-styles;  b,  b, 
top  rails ;  c,  c,  bottom  rails. 

Fig.  2.     Vertical  section  of  one  side,  sills,  &c. 

Fig.  3.  A  portion  of  the  style,  full  thickness ;  a,  style ;  b,  brass  plate,  the 
dotted  semicircle,  the  portion  of  wood  hollowed  out;  c,  the  perforation 
through  the  plate  to  admit  the  pivot  at  the  end  of  d;  d,  is  a  circular  drop 
extending  the  entire  width  of  the  fold,  each  end  playing  in  a  plate  each  side, 
the  pin  or  pivot  to  play  loosely,  as  the  plate  d,  by  opening  or  shutting,  is 
moved  over  the  sill;  and,  as  the  sash  closes,  the  plate  d  drops  in  and  rests  on 
the  bottom,  and  cuts  off  the  pressure  of  wind  and  water ;  c,  the  rabbet. 

Plate  9. 

Fig.  1.  A  geometrical  elevation  of  a  Grecian  Doric  house,  on  a  scale  of 
fifteen  feet  to  an  inch,  designed  for  a  gentleman's  residence,  in  our  republican 
country.  The  site  is  on  the  summit  of  a  gentle  eminence,  which  gives  to  it  a 
peculiarly  picturesque  view,  and  a  free  circulation  of  air. 

Fig.  2.  The  first  floor;  a,  the  entrance  hall ;  b,  b,  parlors,  with  slide-doors ; 
c,  sitting-room  ;  d,  china-room ;  e,  dining-room ;  /,  back  stair-case ;  g,  principal 
stair-case ;  If,  If,  chimneys ;  f,  I,  f,  I,  columns  of  portico.  It  is  intended 
to  have  the  kitchen,  pantry,  store-room,  «&;c.,  under  the  dining-room ;  in  such 
cases,  it  will  be  necessary  to  open  an  area  on  the  outside,  eight  feet  wide, 
the  whole  lengtli  of  the  back  side,  with  steps  down  at  each  end,  and  a  back 
entrance  to  the  same. 

Spedjication. 

The  excavation  should  be  sufficient  to  admit  the  passage  of  workmen  both 

sides  of  the   walls,  and  to   secure   an  equal  density  of  bottom,  either  by 
10 


74  EURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

beetling,  by  inverted  arches,  or  by  driving  piles;  in  most  cases,  the  beetling 
onhj  will  be  necessary,  especially  in  a  location  like  this. 

Foundation-  Walls, 
The  first  course  sliould  be  two  and  a  half  feet  broad,  and  one  foot  deep, 
with  stones  as  long  as  convenient;  the  other  courses,  rising  to  within  four 
inches  of  the  intended  grading  of  the  ground,  may  be  one  foot  ten  inches  in 
thickness,  and  properly  leveled,  the  inside  faced  to  batter  one  inch. 

Umlcrpinning. 

Fine  hammered  granite,  three  feet  eight  inches  in  lieight,  the  thickness  one 
foot  ten  inches,  as  follows : 

Offset  inside  for  floors,  one  and  a  half  inch. 

Thickness  of  wall,  one  foot. 

Thickness  of  pilasters,  six  inches. 

Outside  Avash,  one  and  a  half  inch. 

Top  of  underpinning  projects  one  inch. 

The  wall  of  the  building,  on  the  area,  should  be  fine  hammered  granite, 
one  foot  nine  inches  thick,  with  splays,  or  bevils,  cut  for  window-shutters; 
this  wall  should  be  perpendicular,  faced  on  both  sides;  the  bank  wall  for 
the  area,  at  least  three  feet  thick  at  bottom,  faced  up  inside  to  batter  one 
inch,  five  feet  in  height,  and  topped  with  a  fixed  stone  for  iron  work ;  to  have 
one  flight  of  hammered  granite  steps  at  each  end  of  the  area ;  at  the  upper 
back  entrance  of  the  house,  a  stone  passage  over  the  area  si.x  feet  wide,  with 
cast-iron  fence  each  side,  and  five  steps  to  descend  to  the  lawn ;  buttresses 
for  front  door  steps,  three  feet  six  inches  high,  to  project  from  underpinning 
five  feet  ten  inches,  being  one  foot  eight  inches  thick ;  five  steps,  six  and  a 
half  feet  long,  eight  inches  rise,  and  one  foot  two  inches  in  width  of  steps; 
project  from  the  underpinning  of  end  wall  of  liouse,  eleven  feet  six  inches ; 
the  buttresses  at  the  ends  of  portico.s,  three  feet  two  inches  broad,  three  feet 
six  inches  high,  eleven  feet  six  inches  long.     Steps,  thirty-six  feet  two  inciies 


GRECIAN  DORIC.  75 

long,  eight  inches  rise,  one  foot  tvA^o  inches  tread;  the  floor  of  porticos  of 
fine  hammered  granite ;  if  convenient,  make  the  length  and  breadth  in  one 
stone,  thirty-six  feet  two  inches  long,  and  eight  feet  wide;  or  if  not,  divide 
the  length  into  three  equal  parts.  The  walls  of  principal,  second,  and  attic 
stories,  of  fine  hammered  granite  stone  facings,  from  four  to  six  inches  thick, 
in  regular  courses,  sixteen  inches  wide,  of  proper  length  ;  beds  and  bells  ham- 
mered; returns,  quoins,  and  ravines,  lined  or  backed  up  with  bricks,  making 
the  thickness  one  foot;  iron  clamps  inserted  in  each  of  the  horizontal  joints, 
once  in  three  feet  in  length.  For  details  of  caps,  entablature,  cornice,  &c., 
see  plates  for  the  same;  gutters,  sheet  copper;  battlements,  stone.  The 
roof  is  intended  to  be  covered  with  galvanized  iron  or  tin ;  either  will  an- 
swer a  good  purpose :  copper  trunks  on  the  inside  of  the  walls ;  chimneys 
laid  up  as  per  plan,  plate  9,  fig.  2;  brick  trimmers  turned;  hearths  all  laid; 
marble  slabs  for  first  and  second  stories;  marble  tiles  for  the  attic.  Chim- 
ney-pieces for  parloi's,  co.st  $50  each ;  for  dining  and  sitting  rooms,  $40  each ; 
for  chamber.s,  $25  each.  Lay  up  brick  partition  walls  in  the  cellar.  Parti- 
tions of  entrance  hall  to  rest  on  the  same,  piers  and  arches  for  chimneys ; 
lathing  and  plastering. 

Framing. 
First  floor,  plank,  two  by  twelve  inches.  Ti'immers,  three  by  twelve  inch- 
es ;  floor  plank,  sixteen  inches  from  centre  to  centre.  Second  floor,  two  by 
eleven  inches;  the  second  and  attic,  distance  as  on  the  first  floor;  frame  par- 
titions fitted  for  twelve  inch  nailings.  Studs,  three  by  four  inches ;  proper 
trusses  and  door-jambs ;  the  roof  framed  Avith  trusses  to  support  covering ; 
joists  not  exceeding  seven  feet  for  the  bearing;  the  trusses  to  extend  trans- 
versely across  the  building  ;  the  centre  ridge  to  rise  four  feet  above  the  gut- 
ter at  the  eaves.  The  covering  joists,  or  rafters,  three  by  five  inches,  not  to 
exceed  two  feet  apart,  and  spiked  on  transversely  over  the  trusses ;  the  porti- 
co's roof  to  have  two  sections  of  rafters,  each  joist  four  by  five  inches,  two 


76  RURAL  ARCmTECTURE. 

feet  apart,  the  roof  well  covered  with  matched  boards,  and  fitted  for  the  iron 
or  tin  covering. 

Floors. 
The  under  floors,  straight  edges  -well  nailed  down,  to  be  deepened  by 
plastering  three  fourths  of  an  inch  thick,  with  screeds  to  level  the  same  ;  the 
screeds  to  be  taken  out,  and  the  space  filled  with  mortar  after  the  first  plaster 
is  dry,  to  preserve  the  mortar  from  giving  away ;  cover  the  top  with  a  thick 
coat  of  paste,  and  a  layer  of  thick  paper;  it  will,  when  dry,  produce  a  hard 
surface ;  then  lay  the  top  floors,  for  the  best  rooms,  with  one  and  a  half  inch 
clear  lumber,  not  to  exceed  six  inches  wide,  grooved  and  tongued,  perfectly 
seasoned,  to  be  keyed  up  and  blind-nailed;  the  other  floors  laid  with  inch 
boards  got  to  a  width  and  thickness,  properly  laid  level  and  smoothed. 

Furring. 
All  of  the  walls,  ceilings,  and  partitions,  to  be  furred  for  one  foot  nailing. 
The  furrings  for  the  windows  with  shutters,  in  first  and  second  story,  arc  to 
be  one  and  three  fourths  inch  plank;  the  jambs  for  doors  and  windows,  to 
have  suitable  ground.     The  walls,  plastered  down  to  the  under  floors. 

Windows, 
To  have  box-frames  double  hung,  for  all  except  the  French  windows, 
first  story,  in  the  porticos ;  those  to  swing  in  two  parts,  each  one  light  in 
width ;  see  plate  8,  figs.  1,  2,  and  3  ;  the  thresholds  rabbeted  —  see  c,  fig.  3; 
the  width  of  opening,  three  feet  six  inches ;  the  other  windows  three  feet 
four  inches;  twelve  lights  each,  cherry-wood  sasli ;  first  story,  glass,  twelve 
by  twenty  inches;  second,  twelve  by  sixteen;  the  attic,  eleven  by  fifteen. 
For  the  first  two  stories,  provide,  hang,  and  fasten  box-shutters  and  sash ; 
also  box-shutters  for  the  kitchen,  fourfold,  hung  in  two  parts ;  tlie  French 
windows,   cherry   sash-frames,   properly  hung,   with    butt   iiingcs;    in   the 


GRECIAN  DORIC.  77 

kitchen,  stool  casings,  also  stool  and  edge  casing  in  the  attic  story ;  the  first 
and  second  stories  to  have  backs,  elbows,  back-linings,  and  soffits,  paneled 
shutters,  pilasters  for  Avindow  and  doors;  first  story  with  cap,  pilasters,  &c. 

Doors. 
The  outside  ones  two  inches  thick,  three  feet  four  inches  by  seven  feet 
four  inches ;  inside,  first  story,  three  by  seven  feet ;  one  and  three  fourths 
inch  thick.  Second  story,  two  feet  ten  inches  by  six  feet  ten  inches,  one 
and  a  half  inch  thick;  all  doors  two  panels.  See  plan  of  door,  plate  5. 
Butt  hinges  and  mortise  locks  for  all  the  doors ;  cut  glass  knobs  for  doors  and 
shutters  of  the  first  and  second  stories ;  for  attic  and  kitchen,  rose-wood 
knobs.  The  average  price  of  Robinson's  locks  is  $1  25.  Pilasters,  first  story 
in  regular  proportions,  support  the  stucco  entablature ;  second  story,  fancy 
pilasters  and  corner  blocks.  The  attic  and  kitchens,  plain  pilasters  and  cor- 
ner blocks  ;  all  doors  to  have  hard  wood  thresholds. 

Stairs, 
To  be  built  as  per  plan,  in  the  hall  one  flight,  circular  framed  carriages, 
curtail  step  and  scroll,  mahogany  rail  and  balusters,  noosing-step  returned, 
framed  gallery,  skirtings,  »Sic. ;  a  turned  iron  newel  to  support  the  rail ;  / 
represents  the  common  stair-case,  leading  from  the  basement  floor  to  the 
attic,  framed  carriage  and  newels,  the  newels  turned ;  newels  and  rails  of 
cherry  wood,  round  pine  balusters,  noosing-steps  returned,  the  steps  and 
risers  grooved  to  receive  the  plinths,  proper  ease  ofF,  «Stc. ;  the  stairs  lighted 
from  a  sky-light  through  the  roof;  casings  for  rooms,  where  pilasters  are 
introduced  for  doors  and  windows,  should  show  only  the  plinth  between ; 
you  may  have  the  attic  base  for  the  pilasters  and  subplinth;  for  details, 
pilasters  and  capitals,  see  plate  3,  fig.  1  or  2. 


78  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Sheathing. 
The  kitchen  and  store-room,  in  the  basement  story,  sheathed  up  with 
boards  from  five  to  six  inches  wide,  four  feet  from  the  floor;  sheathe  also 
the  bathing-room,  ph\tc  10,  fig.  2,  at/;  also  provide  and  put  up  water-closet 
in  the  same,  with  such  conveuieuces  as  are  used  in  the  first-class  houses ; 
have  bathing-tub  and  water-tank  fitted  to  use  warm  and  cold  water  at 
pleasure  ;  shower-bath,  and  proper  apparatus  for  the  same. 

Lathins  and  PUif^tcring. 
Lath  and  plaster  all  the  walls;  ceiling  and  partitions  to  be  lathed  and 
plastered  with  good  lime  and  hair  mortar,  two  coats,  and  finished  with  one 
coat  of  fine  stuff.  Whiten  the  ceiling,  and  prepare  the  walls  for  painting.  The 
floors  to  be  deepened  by  plastering  on  the  under  floors.  Set  cooking-range 
with  cast-iron  back,  cast  hollow  for  heating  w'ater.     See  article  on  warming. 

Wurnung. 
This  house  is  intended  to  be  warmed  by  heated  water.  Pei-kins'  patent  is 
upon  a  principle  that  will  bear  investigation.  The  cooking-range  in  the  kitchen 
is  made  with  a  hollow  cast-iron  back,  to  hold  from  four  to  five  gallons,  with 
copper  pipes  introduced,  one  at  the  bottom  and  one  at  the  top  of  this  back, 
extending  near  three  feet  from  the  boiler,  one  and  a  half  to  two  inches  cali- 
bre ;  then  lead  pipe  of  the  same  size  to  be  carried  to  the  rooms  to  be  warm- 
ed ;  there  lay  a  coil  of  about  forty  feet  of  pipe ;  the  coil  may  be  enclosed  in  a 
chamber  to  imitate  a  piece  of  furniture,  thence  carried  to  all  the  apartments 
in  the  house,  and  returned  to  the  under  pipe  connected  with  (he  hollow  back, 
having  the  whole  tightly  closed  by  sodcring ;  then  introduce  an  aperture  at  the 
highest  point,  made  convenient  for  filling  with  water.  When  filled,  close  the 
aperture,  when,  by  the  common  use  of  the  range,  a  current  is  produced  in 
the  water  within  the  pipe,  passing  from  the  upper  pipe  lieated,  and  returning 
through  the  lower  pipe  to  renew  the  revolution.  There  being  no  escape  for 
steam,  one  filling  will  last  considerable  time  without  renewing  the  water. 


GRECIAN   DORIC.  79 

Another,  and,  as  we  think,  a  still  better  method  of  warming  hoiises,  or 
other  buildings,  by  means  of  heated  water,  is  that  of  Mr.  Dexter,  of  this  city 
The  following  is  a  description  of  this  method,  as  exemplified  in  the  house  of 
Mr.  S.  K.  Williams,  No.  68  Boylston  street. 

A  chamber  of  brickwork  is  built  in  the  cellar,  under  tlie  front  entry,  con- 
taining 360  cubic  feet;    under,  and  near  the  centre,  is    a  grate   similar  to 
those  used  for  Bryant  and  Herman's  furnaces,  over  which  is  set  a  copper 
boiler,  holding  thirty-two  gallons ;  on  one  side  of  the  boiler  are  fifty-four 
copper  tubes,  four  inches  in  diameter  and  four  feet  long,  set  perpendicular, 
and  resting  upon  a  table  of  brickwork,  three  and  a  half  feet  above  the  bot- 
tom   of  the   cellar;    connected   by   six   semi-cylindrical  pipes,  five   feet   in 
length,  entering  from  the  boiler,  parallel  to  each  other,  and  uniting  with  the 
boiler  at  the  bottom.     The  upper  ends  of  the  tubes  are  united  with  each 
other  in   a  transverse  direction.     The  boiler  is  a  cylinder,  set  upright  above 
the  brickwork  four  feet  in  height,  and  extends  nearly  to  the  height  of  the 
tubes.     In  the  entry  above  is  set  a  copper  vessel  with  a  lid  to  shut  tight,  con- 
taining sixteen  gallons;   a  tube  three  fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter  enters 
near  the  bottom,  passing  down  through  the  air-chamber  into  the  boiler,  for 
the  purpose  of  filling  by  a  force  pump ;  a  stop-cock  is  inserted  in  the  vessel  at 
top,    to    supply    the  boiler  with  cold  water.     The  heated  water  is  drawn 
from  the  same  boiler  for  warm  baths,  and  from  this  air-chamber  are  funnels, 
registers,  and  dampers,  entering  parlors,  entry,  &c.     To  communicate  direct 
heat  to  the  chambers,  there  is  a  wooden  box  ten  by  fourteen  inches  square, 
set  perpendicular  against  the  wall  of  the  entry,  passing  up  to  the  entry  above, 
or  communicating  with  the  rooms  by  horizontal  pipes  and  registers  through 
the  floor.     At  one  side  of  the  grate  is  a  projection  of  brickwork,  enclosing  a 
metallic  cylinder,  fourteen  or  fifteen  inches  in  diameter  and  about  four  and  a 
half  feet  perpendicular,  the  top  of  which  communicates  with  a  register  by  a 
horizontal  pipe.     Near  the  bottom  of  this   cylinder  is  a  horizontal  branch  to 
admit  the  heated  air  from  the  large  chamber  to  the  small  one.     The  smoke- 


80  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

pipe  passes  from  the  grate  into  the  large  chamber,  entering  the  perpendicular 
cylinder  through  the  lower  branch,  thence  through  one  side  of  the  cylinder, 
horizontally,  to  the  chimney-flue ;  thus  leaving  suflicient  space  to  admit  the 
heat  from  the  long  chamber  into  the  cylinder,  around  the  smoke-pipe.  To 
admit  cold  air  into  the  chamber,  a  flue  is  provided  twelve  inches  square, 
entering  in  a  dovrnward  direction  under  the  front  door  steps.  This  flue 
passes  horizontally  under  the  cellar  floor,  rises  in  a  perpendicular  direc- 
tion, and  enters  the  chamber  near  tlie  top.  The  cold  air  finds  its  way 
through  the  hot  air  in  the  chamber  and  becomes  sooner  rarified  than  when 
entering  near  the  bottom  of  the  chamber.  This  experiment,  by  Mr.  Dexter, 
is  highly  successful.  It  is  secure  against  any  eruption  from  the  boiler  or 
pipes,  to  the  injury  of  the  house  or  of  its  occupants.  The  rarified  air  thus 
obtained,  produces  a  sensation  similar  to  that  produced  by  sitting  in  a  room 
with  the  windows  up,  in  the  month  of  June.  In  effect,  winter  is  thus 
changed  into  summer. 

Plate  10. 

Fig.  1  exhibits  a  perspective  view  of  plate  0;  the  windows,  first  story  in 
the  porticos,  are  intended  for  long  French  style,  to  open  down  upon  thresh- 
olds as  a  door.     See  plate  8. 

Fig.  2.  Plan  of  chamber  floors;  a,  the  chamber  entry ;  c,  c,  c,  c,  bed- 
chambers; d,  d,  closets;  h,  stair-case  continued;  /,  the  bathing-room. 

Plate  11. 

Fig.  1  is  a  geometrical  elevation  of  a  very  genteel  residence,  with  a 
piazza  in  front,  the  entrance  on  the  right  hand  side;  this  house  may  be  built 
of  wood,  framed  walls,  floors  and  roof,  the  roof  slated  or  shingled  as  may 
best  suit  the  proprietor ;  the  walls  boarded  and  sheathed. 

Fig.  2.  The  principal  floor;  a,  the  entrance  hall,  ten  feet  wide;  b,  b,  par- 
lors with  sliding  doors;  c,  principal  stair-case;  d,  china-room;  g,  kitchen;  i, 


GRECIAN  IONIC.  81 

pantry  ;  j,  wood-house ;  h,  back  stairs ;  c,  the  piazza.     Scale,  fifteen  feet  to 
an  inch. 

Plate  12. 

Fig.  1.     A  perspective  view  of  plate  11,  fig.  1. 

Fig.  2.  The  second  floor ;  a,  h,  d,  c,  /,  bed-chambers ;  h,  dressing  or 
bathing-room;  g,  the  back  stair-case;  i,  the  front  stair-landing;  c,  c,  closets. 
The  estimate  for  building  this  house,  all  above  the  cellar,  is  $2000 ;  done  in  a 
plain  manner  according  to  the  design  here  given. 

Plate  13. 

Fig.  1.  The  elevation  of  a  cottage,  Aery  convenient  for  a  small,  genteel 
family ;  drawn  for  French  windows  in  the  piazza ;  to  be  built  of  wood,  four- 
teen feet  length  of  posts,  ten  feet  first  story,  three  feet  eight  inches  upright 
walls  in  the  attic ;  attic  story,  eight  feet  in  clear  height. 

Fig.  2.  The  principal  floor.  Scale,  fifteen  feet  to  an  inch.  Estimated 
cost,  $1400. 

Plate  14. 

Fig.  1.     A  perspective  view  of  the  front,  and  one  end  of  plate  13,  fig.  1. 

Fig.  2.     Second  floor,  dimensions  of  tlie  rooms  figured  on  the  plan. 

(i^rectan  JJonic. 

From  the  temple  on  the  Ilyssus  at  Athens.  In  this  example  I  have  omitted 
the  human  figures,  in  the  entablature,  the  adoption  of  which,  by  many,  is  con- 
sidered superfluous  and  absurd ;  and  have  selected  only  those  ornaments 
which  essentially  belong  to  the  order,  strictly  preserving  the  proportions. 

Plate  15. 
Fig.  1  shows  the  proportions  of  the  order  in  minutes,  figured  from   the 
lower  diameter  of  the  column.     Take  two  modules  of  thirty  minutes  each,  or 
sixty  minutes,  for  the  diameter. 
11 


82  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Fig.  2  is  the  attic  base,  which  is  used  in  common  to  the  orders.  The 
column  of  figures  under  the  letter  //  shows  the  height  of  the  members,  and 
under  /*,  the  projections  from  a  line  drawn  perpendicularly  through  the 
centre,  the  entire  height  of  the  order. 

Fig.  3.  The  entire  height  of  the  order  as  figured  on  the  margin,  with  a 
full  column. 

Plate  16. 

Fig,  1.  The  inverted  section  of  the  capital  at  one  of  the  angles  of  the 
building. 

Fig.  2.     The  elevation  of  the  capital. 

Fig.  3.  One  of  the  scrolls,  on  which  is  shown  the  method  of  drawing 
the  same.  Make  the  whole  height  forty  minutes  of  the  order ;  then  drop  a 
plumb-line  indefinitely  from  the  lesser  projection  of  the  echinus.  Take  nine- 
teen and  a  half  minutes  from  A  to  B.  From  B  draw  indefinitely  the  line  B,  c, 
at  right  angles  with  A,  B.  From  B  set  off  on  B,  c,  three  minutes  to  D. 
From  D  drop  indefinitely  the  perpendicular  D,  E.  On  D,  E,  set  off  three 
minutes  to  F.  From  F  draw  indefinitely  the  horizontal  line,  F,  G.  On  F,  G, 
set  off  three  minutes,  to  7,  making  the  square  B,  D,  F,  7.  By  diagonal  lines 
find  the  centre  of  this  square  which  will  be  the  centre  of  the  eye.  To  de- 
scribe the  curves  of  the  volute,  extend  your  dividers  from  B  to  A,  and  de- 
scribe the  quadrant.  A,  c.  On  the  point  D,  describe  c,  E.  On  the  point  F, 
describe  E,  G.  On  the  point  7,  describe  G,  I.  Thi.s  completes  the  first  rev- 
olution. For  the  second  revolution  ;  divide  each  side  of  the  square  jB,  Z>,  F,  7, 
into  six  equal  parts,  or  half  minutes.  On  each  side  of  this  square  set  off  one 
half  minute,  and  draw  indefinitely  the  line  1,3,  2,  parallel  to  /?,  Z>,  c;  3,  4,  5, 
parallel  to  Z>,  F,  E;  5,  0,  6,  parallel  to  F,  7,  G;  and  o,  1,  8,  parallel  to  7,  B, 
A.  Now,  on  point  1,  describe  the  quadrant  I,  2.  On  point  3,  describe  the 
quadrant  2,  4.  On  point  5,  describe  4,  6.  On  point  o,  describe  6,  8.  This 
completes  the  second  revolution.     For  the  third  revolution,  take  another  half 


GRECIAN  IONIC.  83 

minute  on  the  square  B,  D,  F,  7,  and  proceed  as  before.     All  the  mouldings, 
of  each  quadrant,  will  of  coui'se  be  described  from  the  same  central  points. 

Plate  17. 

Fig.  1.  The  example  from  the  temple  of  Minerva  Polias,  leaving  the 
ornamented  mouldings  for  those  who  prefer  to  make  use  of  them  in  more 
expensive  structures.  The  proportional  measures  are  given  on  the  margin  in 
height  and  projections. 

Fig.  2.     The  Ionic  base. 

Fig.  3.  Elevation  of  the  order.  See  figures  on  the  mai-gin.  This  style  of 
base,  the  attic,  or  the  base  on  pilasters,  plate  18,  fig.  1,  may  be  used  as  may 
be  most  appropriate  for  the  structure  into  which  they  are  introduced.  The 
Ionic  base  may  be  most  proper  for  common  use. 

Plate  18. 

Fig.  1.  A  pilaster  or  anta  to  the  Ionic  column;  the  cap  may  be  changed 
for  e,  plate  19. 

Fig.  2.     The  original  cap  figured  in  the  columns  H,  P. 

Fig.  3.     Base.     See  figures  for  proportions. 

Fig.  4.     Dentils,  as  figured  for  cornice,  plate  17. 

Fig.  5.     Part  of  the  elevation  of  cap  to  column,  plate  17,  fig.  1. 

Fig.  6.  Method  of  drawing  raking  mouldings  to  coincide  in  B,  A,  c.  At 
A,  draw  a  right  angle  to  Be;  divide  the  depth  of  the  moulding  into  four 
equal  parts  as  1,  2,  3, 4 ;  draw  parallel  lines  through  1,  2,  3,  4,  to  d,  f,  h.  At 
the  square,  raise  a  perpendicular  to  o.  From  b,  d,f,  h,  points  of  intersection, 
draw  lines  intersecting  this,  at  right  angles,  at  a,  c,  e,  g.  Now  transfer  b,  a,  to 
4,  4 ;  d,  c,  to  3,  3  ;  f,  e,  to  2,  2 ;  h,  g,  to  1,1.  Transfer  the  same  to  c,  as  a,  b  ; 
c,  d ;  e,f;  g,  h.  DraAV  curved  lines  through  each  point  of  intersection,  making 
the  form  of  the  moulding,  which  will  conform  to  the  same  mould  on  the  level 
cornice,  on  the  flanks,  when  cut  on  the  same  mitre,  raising  the  raking  part 
to  its  intended  angle. 


g4  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Mouldings. 
The  original  Grecian  mouldings  are  best  adapted  for  classical  works,  and 
produce,  in  my  opinion,  the  best  effect;  invariably  preserving  the  elliptic  or 
conic  sectional  form,  while  the  Roman  are  composed  of  parts  of  regular 
circles ;  and  the  modern  taste  seems  to  have  varied  from  both,  inasmuch  as 
straight  lines  have  taken  the  place  of  circles  and  ellipses,  as  shown  in  plate 
20,  b,  c;  while  a,  d,  e,/,  g,  preserve  Grecian  forms. 

Plate  19. 
Figs,  a,  6,  c,  retain  the  principal  curve  of  a  Grecian  cavetto,  with  addi- 
tions or  combinations  of  other  moulded  forms ;  this,  in  some  cases,  may  be 
executed,  and  considered  as  an  improvement.  Mouldings,  as  here  shown,  may 
be  executed  in  common  to  each  of  the  Grecian  orders,  although  their  combi- 
nation differs  somewhat  in  each  of  the  Grecian  examples  ;  d,  is  for  a  Grecian 
Doric  impost  or  pilaster ;  c,  is  intended  for  the  Ionic  or  Corinthian,  where 
foliage  is  not  introduced. 

Plate  20. 
Figs,  a,  b,  c,  the  Grecian  quirk,  ovolo  and  variations;  d,  c,f,  cyma-reversa, 
and  variations  for  the  sake  of  variety ;  g,  cyma-recta ;  h,  bed-mould  ;  i,  cyma- 
recta  and  addition  of  quirk  and  quarter  round,  which,  in  some  cases,  may  be 
used  with  good  effect,  at  near  a  level  with  the  eye. 

Plate  21. 

Fig.  1.  The  elevation  of  a  cottage,  very  convenient  for  a  small  genteel 
family;  drawn  for  French  windows  in  front.  To  be  built  of  wood,  four- 
teen feet  length  of  posts,  ten  feet  first  story,  three  feet  upright  walls  in  the 
attic.     Attic  story,  eight  feet  in  clear  height. 

Fig.  2.  The  principal  floor;  dimensions  figured  on  the  plan.  Estimated 
cost,  $1400.     Scale,  fifteen  feet  to  an  inch. 


GEECIAN  IONIC.  85 

Plate  22. 
Fig.  1.     A  perspective  view  of  the  front  and  one  end. 
Fig.  2.     Second  floor,  dimensions  of  rooms  figured  on  the  plan. 

Plate  23. 

This  villa  is  designed  for  a  genteel  dwelling,  in  a  village  or  country  town, 
to  be  erected  on  the  summit  of  a  gentle  eminence.  It  is  intended  for  comfort 
and  convenience  rarely  met  with  in  any  dwelling  ;  as  dwelling-houses  depend 
much  on  their  location  for  comfort,  health,  and  pleasure. 

Fig.  1.  A  geometrical  elevation;  height  of  stories, — first,  eleven  feet, 
second,  ten  feet. 

Fig.  2.  The  first  floor ;  a,  entrance  hall ;  h  and  c,  parlors ;  d,  dining- 
room;  e,  sitting-room;  /,  back  entry  and  stairs  ;  h,  kitchen;  i,  closet;  j,  bath- 
ing-room ;  g,  back  passage;  k,  wood-house.     Scale,  fifteen  feet  to  an  inch. 

Plate  24. 
Fig.  1.     Perspective  view  of  plate  23. 
Fig.  2.     Second  floor  ;  dimensions  of  rooms  figured. 

Plate  25. 
Fig.  1.  Geometrical  elevation  with  French  windows  and  frontispiece.    This 
house  is  intended  for  a  professional  gentleman.     «,  vestibule  ;  6,  dining-room; 
c,  parlor;  (Z,  e,  ante-rooms;/,  china-closet;  ^,  kitchen ;  /«,  back  entrance  to 
stair-case. 

Plate  26. 

A  perspective  view  of  plate  25,  designed  for  long  French  windows,  to 
swing  in  from  a  threshold  at  the  floor. 

Fig.  2.  The  second  floor,  with  four  bed-chambers  ;  dimensions  marked  on 
the  plan.  The  roof  on  either  side  would  be  very  convenient  for  enjoying 
an  airing  after  a  hot  summer  day.     Scale,  fifteen  feet  to  an  inch. 


86  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Plate  27. 

Tlie  elevation  of  an  Ionic  house,  having  the  Ionic  proportions,  but  the 
Doric  dressings;  Egyptian  style  of  windows.  The  windows  and  doors,  sash 
and  glass;  each  fold  of  sash  to  swing  in,  containing  two  widths  of  glass  of 
fourteen  inches  each,  four  lengths  in  height,  of  one  foot  nine  inches  each ;  the 
window  in  the  frontispiece  will  serve  well  for  a  door,  and  as  a  window  to 
light  the  vestibule.  The  roof  to  be  covered  with  galvanized  tin,  with  copper 
eave-gutters,  &c. 

Fig.  2.  a,  vestibule  ;  d,  e,  ante-rooms ;  b,  parlor ;  c,  dining-room ;  /,  stair- 
case ;  g,  kitchen ;  h,  pantry. 

Plate  28. 
Fig.  1.     The  perspective  elevation  of  plate  27. 

Fig.  2.  Plan  of  second  floor,  with  five  sleeping-chambers,  and  bathing- 
room,  with  a  water-closet,  &c. 

Plate  29. 

Fig.  1.  Elevation  of  a  dwelling-house,  two  stories  ;  a  low  basement  and 
cellar ;  for  the  basement  it  should  be  walled  up,  an  open  area  with  stone  steps 
to  descend  from  the  bank,  to  give  a  pass  to  this  story  outside  the  exterior 
walls.  Fine  hammered  granite  facings,  backed  up  with  brick ;  the  parti- 
tions, walls,  and  chimneys,  laid  of  brick,  and  a  metallic  covering  for  the 
roof. 

Fig.  2.  The  principal  floor ;  this  house  is  designed  for  two  families,  with 
front  entrances  right  and  left.     See  elevation. 

Plate  30. 

Fig.  1.  A  different  front  for  plate  29,  fig.  2.  Although  the  style  of  this 
front,  in  its  peculiar  characteristic,  is  omitted,  it  still  preserves  the  Ionic 
proportion,  and  is  well  adapted  for  a  house  planned  as  plate  29,  fig.  2. 

Fig.  2.     A  third  front  elevation  for  the  same.     This  elevation  essentially 


GRECIAN  CORINTHIAN.  87 

differs  from  the  other  two,  and  approaches  nearer  the  ancient  English  style. 
Its  effect  is  rather  picturesque  than  otherwise.  The  second  floor  may  he 
arranged  very  similar  to  the  principal  one.  The  two  designs  on  this  plate 
are  intended  for  an  attic  story. 


(Grecian   €0rintl)ian. 

This  order  seems  to  have  taken  rise  in  the  flourishing  days  of  Corinth,  a 
celebrated  city  of  Greece.  The  proportions  of  the  order  resemble  the  grace- 
ful figure  of  a  virgin,  more  delicate  than  the  more  mature  age  of  the  matron, 
which  has  given  rise  to  the  Ionic  proportions.  The  composition  of  foliage  is 
considered  the  leading  character  of  the  Corinthian  capital,  which  is  arranged 
in  two  annular  rows  of  leaves  so  that  each  leaf  in  the  upper  row  grows  up 
between  those  of  the  lower  row,  in  such  a  manner  that  a  leaf  of  the  upper 
row  will  stand  in  the  middle  of  each  face  of  the  capital,  and  from  each  leaf 
of  the  upper  row,  three  stalks  spring  with  volutes,  two  of  them  meeting 
under  the  angle  of  the  abacus,  and  two  in  the  centre  of  the  side,  touching 
or  interwoven  with  each  other.  A  capital  thus  constructed  is  called 
Corinthian. 

Plate  31. 

This  example  is  from  the  lantern  of  Demosthenes,  otherwise  called  the 
monument  of  Lysicrates.  With  some  variation  in  the  entablature  and 
dentils,  it  may  be  considered  a  beautiful  specimen  of  the  Grecian  art,  and 
may  be  imitated  with  success  when  elegance  is  required  in  the  composition. 

Fig.  1  represents  the  entablature  and  cap  of  the  column. 

Fig.  2,  the  base,  dimensions  of  height  and  projections  figured  under  /*,  H, 
from  a  scale  of  sixty  minutes  for  the  diameter  of  the  column  at  the  base. 

Fig.  3.     The  full  length  column,  entire  height  of  the  order. 


88  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Plate  32. 

Fig.  1.  A  design  for  antae  for  the  columns,  plate  31.  The  face  of  this 
anta,  or  pilaster,  is  equal  to  the  diameter  of  the  column  at  the  neck,  and 
equal  in  width  at  top  and  bottom ;  thus  avoiding  the  difliculty  of  increasing 
the  projection  of  the  capital  beyond  that  of  the  column  to  which  it  may  be 
attached. 

Fig.  2.  Tlic  capital  of  column,  plate  31,  fig.  1.  Inverted  and  horizontal 
section  of  tlic  column  and  flutes  at  the  neck. 

Fig.  3.     The  cornice,  inverted. 

The  Romans,  adopting  the  general  features  of  this  order,  introduced  into 
it  some  variations  from  the  Greek  specimens. 

Plate  33. 

This  example  is  taken  from  the  Pantheon,  at  Rome;  although  considered 
somewhat  plainer  than  that  from  the  temple  of  Jupiter,  it  is,  notwithstand- 
ing, beautiful  and  chaste ;  it  is  considered  an  excellent  example  of  the 
Roman  style. 

Fig.  1.  Elevation  of  the  order;  proportions  figured  to  a  scale  of  minutes  ol 
the  order  from  the  diameter  of  the  column  ;  //,  the  height;  /*,  the  projections. 

Fig.  2.     The  elevation  of  the  base. 

Fig.  3.     The  entire  height  of  the  order  figured  in  modules  and  minutes. 

Plate  34. 

Fig.  1.  Elevation  of  the  cap.  The  leaves  are  shown  in  outline  before 
cutting  the  raffles,  stalks,  veins,  &c. 

Fig.  2.  The  capital  of  fig.  1,  inverted,  in  which  are  shown  the  projections 
of  the  abacus,  leaves,  &c. 

Fig.  3.  Elevation  of  one  of  the  leaves,  with  tlie  requisite  raffles,  stalks, 
and  veins. 


GRECIAN  CORINTHIAN.  89 

Fig.  4.     The  side  elevation  of  a  modillion  and  its  appropriate  ornament. 
Fig.  5.     Modillion  inverted. 

Plate  35. 
Fig.  1.     Corinthian  frontispiece.     Scale,  three  eighths  of  an  inch  to  a  foot, 
Fig.  2.     The  steps  and  floor  for  the  column  to  rest  upon. 
Fig.  3  shows  the  flank  of  frontispiece,  or  portico. 

Plate  36. 
Figs.  1,  2,  3,  and  4,  are  designs  for  stucco  cornices. 

Fig.  5.     Scale  of  inches  which  will  answer  for  height.     Fig.  1,  for  twenty 
feet;  fig.  2,  for  sixteen  feet ;  fig.  3,  for  twelve  feet;  and  fig.  4.  for  11  feet. 
Fig.  6.     Single  architrave  for  the  Doric  order. 
Fig.  7.     Single  architrave  for  the  Ionic  order. 
Fig.  8.     Single  architrave  for  the  Corinthian  order. 
Fig.  9.     Section  of  the  finish  of  doors.    See  plate  6. 

Plate  37. 

Fig.  1  exhibits  a  perspective  view  of  a  Corinthian  house.  Although  the 
modillions  and  other  enrichments  are  omitted,  the  Corinthian  proportions  are 
preserved,  which  may  be  added  where  expense  is  not  limited. 

Fig.  2.  Geometrical  elevation  of  the  principal  front.  This  design,  carried 
out  in  full  Corinthian  order,  will  produce  a  very  beautiful  effect.  It  contains 
most  of  the  conveniences  required  in  a  gentleman's  dwelling  of  the  first  class. 

Plate  38. 
This  plate  exhibits  the  first  floor.  The  dimensions  are  figured  on  the  several 
apartments ;  —  the  closets  in  each  corner.  In  the  back  rooms,  the  corners 
will  serve  well  for  closets,  dressing-rooms,  &c. ;  in  the  front  ones,  for  water- 
closets,  or  for  other  conveniences,  as  may  be  required.  These  projections 
produce  a  very  good  effect  in  the  exterior  composition,  and  form  fit  recesses 

for  the  porticos.     The  introduction  of  the  pier  and  anta,  at  each  end  of  the 
12 


90  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

portico,  prevents  the  naked  appearance  that  would  be  produced  by  the  insu- 
lated column.  l*arlors  sixteen  by  eighteen  feet;  sitting-room,  sixteen  by 
sixteen  ;  dining-room,  sixteen  by  sixteen ;  front  entrance  hall,  fifteen  feet  wide ; 
back  entrance,  six  feet  wide ;  kitchen,  sixteen  by  sixteen ;  wash-room,  nine 
by  thirteen;  bathing-room,  six  by  eight;  wood-house,  eight  by  thirty-four. 

Plate  39. 
This  plate  represents  the  framing  of  the  first  floor.     Sills,  eight  by  twelve 
inches ;  hearth  trimmers,  three  by  twelve ;  floor  plank,  two  by  twelve  inch- 
es ;  kitchen  hearth  trimmers,  four  by  twelve ;  one  foot  from  centre  to  centre. 

Plate  40. 
This  plate  shows  the  framing  of  the  second  floor  as  per  plan ;  sixteen 
inches  from  centre  to  centre;  girders,  seven  by  eleven  inches;  hearth  and 
stair  trimmers,  three  by  eleven ;  plank,  two  by  eleven ;  the  principal  rooms 
are  to  have  two  tiers  of  bridging. 

Plate  41. 

Figs.  1,  4,  and  7,  represent  columns,  or  piers.  Fig.  1  is  intended  for 
exterior  decoration;  figs.  4  and  7,  for  interior;  to  support  the  ceiling  of 
churches,  where  vaulted  arches  are  introduced.  The  parts  rising  above  the 
caps  show  the  spring  of  the  arches  and  their  curves  ;  the  perpendicidar  lines 
the  transverse  groins,  which,  as  they  rise,  and  are  intersected  by  the  em- 
bossed ribs  springing  from  the  other  piers  or  columns,  are  sometimes  spread 
out.  They  are  occasionally  ornamented  with  ro.settes,  or  various  kinds  of 
foliage. 

Figs.  2,  5,  and  8,  are  sections  of  piers  or  columns.  Fig.  2  shows  the  posi- 
tion of  the  four  small  reeds  introduced  in  the  curvilinear  form  of  the  main 
shaft.     Fig.  5  is  from  the  nave  of  York   cathedral,  and   lig.  8,  from  Exeter 


GOTHIC.  91 

cathedral.  These  examples  are  beautiful.  The  general  form  of  figs.  5  and 
8  being  square,  and  placed  diagonal  to  the  face  and  spring  of  the  arches,  and 
clustered  with  reeds,  makes  a  good  support  at  the  base  line  from  which  the 
arches  spring.  The  splay  of  the  arches  with  bold  mouldings  has  a  very 
beautiful  effect.  Figs.  3,  G,  and  9,  are  intended  for  the  bases  which  are 
represented  in  sections ;  2,  5,  and  8  the  outline  curves  represent  the  larger 
reeds,  while  the  smaller  ones  are  continued  through  the  base  to  the  plinth. 

Plate  42. 

Fig.  1  represents  a  window  from  Sleyford  church,  Lincolnshire,  England, 
but  reduced  for  a  smaller  window.  The  arch  is  formed  on  an  equilateral 
triangle,  and  is  sometimes  filled  with  flowing  tracery,  and  quatrefoils,  and 
cinctures.  See  the  figure.  The  deep  curved  hollow  within  the  columns  forms 
a  very  good  drip-stone  in  the  arch,  and  a  deep  shade  on  the  sides ;  which 
effect  is  good.  Scale,  three  eighths  of  an  inch  to  a  foot ;  it  may  be  used  to 
advantage  for  churches  or  other  public  buildings  of  this  style  of  architecture. 

Fig.  2  is  a  window  used  in  the  centre  of  the  front  of  churches  when  a 
tower  is  introduced  in  the  composition.  Its  effect  is  decidedly  good.  The 
head  of  this  window  being  the  ogee  arch,  the  canopy  is  ornamented  with 
crockets  and  a  finial. 

Plate  43. 

Fig.  1  is  the  outline  drawing  of  a  large  size  for  fig.  2. 

Fig.  2.  The  spandrell-head  window,  as  frequently  used  for  small  windows 
for  Gothic  dwellings.  This  cap  forms  a  very  good  drip-stone ;  the  top  being 
level,  the  sides  drop  at  right  angles  with  the  top,  and  ends,  but  are  sometimes 
continued  on  a  level,  to  stop  against  the  pilaster,  or  to  form  a  connection 
with  the  adjoining  windows. 

Fig.  3.  A  vertical  section  of  fig.  2.  Figs.  4  and  5  are  sectional  styles  of 
sash-frames. 


92  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Plate  44. 

Fig.  1.     A  design  for  a  door  with  finish  appropriate  for  the  exterior. 

Fig.  2  is  intended  for  the  interior  of  a  Gothic  dwelling,  the  finish  forming 
the  architrave,  to  project  one  half  the  width  of  the  face.  The  architrave, 
whose  section  forms  one  half  of  an  octagon  figure,  is  admired  for  its  smooth 
and  clean  surfaces. 

Fig.  3.     A  part  of  the  door-head  of  fig.  1  enlarged. 

Fig.  4.     The  raking  cornice  for  the  gables  of  Gothic  dwellings. 

Plate  45. 

Fig.  1.  Geometrical  elevation  of  a  Gothic  dwelling,  having  two  upright 
stories. 

Fig.  2.  Plan  of  principal  floor.  The  dimensions  of  rooms  are  figured  on 
the  plan.  This  house  may  afford  conveniences  over  many  others.  The 
exterior,  properly  carried  out,  gives  quite  a  picturesque  appearance.  Scale, 
fifteen  feet  to  an  inch.     Estimated  cost  of  building,  $4600. 

Plate  4G. 
Fig.  1.     A  perspective  view  of  plate  45,  fig.  1. 

Fig.  2.  The  chamber  floor,  containing  four  bed-chambers,  and  a  bathing- 
room,  six  by  seven  feet.     Dimensions  figured  on  the  plan. 

Plate  47. 

Fig.  1.  Geometrical  elevation  of  a  dwelling  built  for  David  Sears,  Esq., 
in  Brookline,  Mass.  This  house  was  built  of  brick ;  the  cellar  of  stone  ; 
slate  and  galvanized  tin  roof-covering ;  copper  gutters  and  trunks ;  cooking- 
range  in  kitchen  ;  bathing-room,  water-closet,  &c.,  in  the  second  story  ;  and 
a  Bryant  and  Herman's  furnace  set  in  the  cellar;  also  a  well  and  cistern. 
Exterior  walls  painted  and  sanded ;  freestone  caps  and  sills.  The  cost  of 
this  building  was  $8000. 

Fig.  2.  A  plan  of  the  principal  floor;  dimensions  figured  on  the  plan 
Scale,  fifteen  feet  to  an  inch. 


GROINED  ARCHES  AND   VAULTING.  93 

Plate  48. 
Fig.  1.     A  perspective  view  of  plate  47,  fig.  1. 

Fig.  2.     Cliamber  floor,  containing  six  bed-chambers,  bathing-room,  &c. 
Dimensions  figured  on  the  plan. 


^roin£i>  ^nl)C0  anb  baultmg. 


Plate  49. 

Shows  a  method  of  striking  the  centres  for  semicircular  and  elliptical 
arches,  with  the  groins  or  hips  to  coincide  with  each  other  ;  also,  the  cover- 
ing of  the  vaulting. 

Operation. 

Fig.  1.  Draw  the  lines  O,  X,  intersecting  at  L ;  draw  the  cord  of  the  semi- 
circle, I ;  find  the  centre  line  7  ;  extend  this  line  to  the  intersection  at  L  ;  di- 
vide one  half  of  the  semicircle  into  seven  equal  parts,  on  each  side,  as  fig- 
ured ;  divide  K  in  the  same  manner  as  I.  Draw  lines  from  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  to 
intersect  X  at  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6.  From  1,  2,  3,  &c.,  on  X,  draw  lines  at  right 
angles  with  X,  indefinitely.  Transfer  the  distance  between  1,  2,  3,  «Stc.,  on 
the  semicircle  and  its  chord,  to  these  last  drawn  perpendicular  lines  at  a,  h,  c, 
&c. ;  and  a  line  passing  through  these  several  points,  1,  a;  2,  b;  3,  c,  &c.,  will 
give  the  curve  of  the  hip  or  groin. 

Covering  of  Centres. 

Divide  the  whole  length  of  the  hip,  a,  6,  c,  d,  e,f,  g,  into  seven  equal  parts ; 
draw  the  centre  line,  IC,  ly,  If,  from  the  chord  in  H;  take  six  of  the  seven 
parts  of  the  hip ;  lay  off  on  the  centre  line ;  divide  into  seven  equal  parts. 
Extend  the  lines  of  intersection  from  a,  b,  c,  d,  e,f,  g,  in  K,  through  1,  2,  3,  4, 
5,  6,  on  JT;  then  through  the  cord  H,  intersecting  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  in  //,  at 
a,  b,  c,  d,  e,f,  g ;  trace  a  curve  line  through  these  intersections.  This  will 
form  the  curve  to  cut  the  covering  of  the  centres.  H,  I,  may  be  performed 
as  the  above  K,  H;  —  a,  a,  a,  a,  «&c.,  represent  sections  of  the  piers  from 
which  the  arches  are  formed. 


94  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Fig.  2.  The  elevation  of  llic  piers ;  a,  a,  a,  a,  b,  b,  the  frame  for  front 
centreing ;  there  should  be  two  thicknesses  of  stuff  to  break  joints,  and 
nailed  together  or  bolted,  in  larger  works. 

Tonic  Details  for  Plates  29  and  30. 

Plate  50. 

Fig.  1.  Perspective  sketch  of  the  elevation  of  the  Ionic  capital. 

Fig.  2.  Base  of  the  same. 

Fig.  3.  Principal  cornice  for  elevation.     Plates  29  and  30. 

Fig.  4.  Frieze,  lillet,  and  architrave  for  the  same. 

Fig.  5.  Front  elevation  of  truss,  for  Venetian  window. 

Fig.  6.  Side  elevation  of  the  same. 

Fig.  7.  Cap  of  antae. 

Fig.  8.  Architrave  around  the  window. 

Fig.  9.  Stone  work  for  balcony  of  window.     Plate  30,  fig.  1. 

Fig.  10.  Section  of  rail  for  the  same. 

Fig.  11.  Cap  of  pilaster  to  same  elevation. 

Fig.  12.  Base  to  the  same. 

Fig.  13.  Cornice  for  front  parlor. 

Fig.  14.  Cornice  for  back  parlor. 

Fig.  15.  Principal  bed-room  cornice. 

Fig.  16.  Second,  ditto. 

Details  for  Gothic  House.     Plate  30,  fig.  2. 

Fig.  17.  Stone  cap. 

Fig.  18.  Head  of  window. 

Fig.  19.  Mullion  of  the  same. 

Fig.  20.  Sill  of  the  same. 

Fig.  21.  Elevation  of  chimney  pot,  or  stone  turret. 

Fig.  22.  Plan  of  the  same,  showing  iron  fly,  or  smoke  ventilator. 


CHURCH  ARCHITECTURE.  95 

Fig.  23.  A  section  of  stone  gutter,  cornice,  and  portion  of  roof  A, 
cornice;  2?,  gutter;  C,  wall  plate;  D,  rafter;  E,  ceiling-joist;  F,  brickwork; 
G,  plaster  and  cornice;  ff,  battens  and  slate. 

Fio-.  24.  Plan  of  stone  jambs,  frame  and  door  for  principal  entrance.  A, 
stone  jamb;  5,  door-frame;   C,  door;  Z>,  architrave. 

(!Il)iircl)  ^rcl)itecture. 

In  this  enlightened  and  Christian  country,  where  the  arts  and  sciences  are 
daily  applied  to  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the  whole  people,  this 
branch  of  architecture  has  hitherto  been  very  much  neglected.  In  regard  to 
the  elegance  and  costliness  of  its  structures  devoted  to  the  worship  of  God, 
our  country  can  bear  no  comparison  with  the  civilized  nations  of  Europe. 
There  are  many  obvious  reasons  why  this  is  so.  —  First,  the  superior  age, 
wealth,  and  population  of  those  countries  may  be  urged  as  reasons  why  we 
cannot  hope,  at  present,  to  compete  with  them  in  erecting  such  magnificent 
edifices  as  adorn  their  principal  cities.  Our  fathers  came  to  these  shores,  to 
escape  the  imposition  of  religious  forms  and  doctrines  which  their  con- 
sciences disapproved ;  and  this,  no  doubt,  prejudiced  their  minds  against  the 
"  pomp  and  pride  "  of  prelacy,  as  well  as  of  royalty  ;  and  left  as  little  desire 
to  imitate  the  magnificent  church  structures,  they  had  left  behind,  as  to  copy 
the  political  forms  of  their  father-land. 

Ao-ain,  the  pecuniary  depression  under  which  our  forefathers  labored,  the 
numberless  sacrifices  they  made  for  the  true  dignity  and  honor  of  the  religion 
of  Christ,  and  their  deep-seated  aversion  to  ostentation  of  any  kind,  would 
alike  forbid  the  erection  of  elegant  structures,  and  account  for  the  almost 
total  neglect,  with  which  this  department  of  architecture  has  hitherto  met,  in 
in  our  country. 

It  would  be  very  difficult,  perhaps,  in  the  present  state  of  things  among  us, 
to  imitate  the  highly  enriched  and  expensive  structures  which  have,  for  so 


96  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

long  a  time,  been  the  pride  and  glory  of  the  older  world.  But  we  cannot 
but  indulge  the  hope,  that,  ere  long,  though  wc  may  not  surpass  or  even 
equal  those  nations,  the  greater  part  of  who.se  wealth  and  power  have  been 
in  the  hands  of  the  church,  in  the  grandeur  and  costliness  of  our  religious 
edifices,  we  may  yet  equal  them  in  regard  to  the  taste  and  architectural 
simplicity  of  these  structures;  qualities  more  in  harmony  witli  our  republican 
form  of  government,  and,  as  we  cannot  but  think,  with  the  simplicity  of  our 
faith  and  worship,  than  would  be  the  cathedrals  of  York,  Milan,  or  Rome, 
even  if  wc  could  reproduce  them  here. 

After  consulting  convenience  and  strength,  the  next  thing  to  be  attended  to 
in  a  religious  edifice,  is  the  proportion  and  details  of  the  building,  which  must 
all  be  made  to  harmonize  with  the  general  design  ;  or  else  the  grand  object — 
the  adaptation  of  the  structure  to  the  purposes  of  public  worship  —  is  wholly 
lost.  No  one,  who  has  within  him  a  spirit  that  prompts  him  to  worship  God, 
can  be  insensible  to  an  emotion  nearly  allied  to  that  of  religious  reverence, 
when  he  approaches  and  enters  a  Gothic  structure,  built  with  due  regard  to 
the  rules  of  the  art.  The  lofty  spire,  pinnacles,  and  finials,  seem  as  so  niany 
fingers  pointing  upward  to  heaven,  and  directing  his  way  thither.  In  the 
massive  tower  and  battlements,  the  mind  perceives  an  emblem  of  the 
stability  of  truth,  and  of  the  gracious  promises  of  God,  and  is  led  to  repose, 
confidingly  in  him.  On  entering,  the  mind  swells  with  the  feeling  of 
sublimity,  and  seems,  almost  involuntarily,  to  rise  in  adoration  of  the 
Being,  who  is  himself  so  great,  and  has  given  to  man  the  power  to  raise 
a  temple  so  fit  for  his  worship.  Though,  sometimes,  we  must  confess, 
where  the  grandeur  and  ornament  of  the  structure  have  been  carried  to 
the  extreme  point,  which  they  attained,  especially  in  Catholic  countries,  in 
those  ages  when  the  greatest  attention  was  given  to  the  magnificence  of 
ecclesiastical  buildings,  our  mind  has  been  irresistibly  withdrawn  from  the 
object,  to  the  place  of  worship;  and  we  have  been  profoundly  impressed  with 
the  truth  of  those  words  of  the  great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  which  he  spoke 


CHURCH  ARCHITECTURE.  97 

while  standing  upon  Mars'  Hill,  in  the  very  shadow  of  the  most  heautiful,  im- 
posing, and  architecturally  perfect,  of  all  the  temples  that  have  ever  been 
raised  by  human  hands  for  divine  worship,  —  "God,  that  made  the  world, 
and  all  things  therein,  seeing  that  he  is  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  dvvelleth 
not  in  temples  made  with  hands,  neither  is  worshipped  with  men's  hands  as 
though  he  needed  any  thing,  seeing  he  giveth  to  all  life,  and  breath,  and  all 
things."  Still,  in  the  severest  notions  that  can  be  entertained  of  the  spiritu- 
ality of  the  object  of  our  worship,  or  of  the  service  that  it  is  at  once  our  duty 
and  blessing  to  offer  him,  there  is  nothing  that  forbids,  but,  rather,  much  that 
favors,  a  highly  cultivated  taste,  and  the  purest  style  of  structure  and  orna- 
ment, in  temples  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God,  —  that  Being  who  has  given 
man  a  faculty  to  perceive  and  enjoy  beauty  and  sublimity,  in  all  their  forms, 
and  then  surrounded  him  with  such  an  endless  variety  of  objects,  the  work 
of  his  own  creative  hand,  by  which  that  faculty  may  be  exercised,  culti- 
vated, and  gratified. 

Having  spoken  thus  of  the  importance  and  effect  of  proportion,  and  of  the 
general  harmony  of  the  parts  with  the  design  or  object  of  the  building,  we 
would  only  observe,  in  addition,  that  this  effect  is  greatly  aided  by  an 
appropriate  material  for  the  structure,  as  also  by  the  colors  that  are  intro- 
duced into  its  various  parts,  and  the  degree  of  light  or  shade  thrown  over 
the  interior. 

Quincy  granite  is  a  material,  which,  for  the  exterior  of  a  church,  is 
admirably  adapted  to  its  main  purpose.  Its  great  solidity,  and  consequent 
durability,  and  the  gravity  of  its  color,  especially  when  unhewn,  render  it 
exceedingly  fit,  especially  for  a  massive  religious  structure.  And,  for  the 
interior  finish,  the  native  black  walnut  of  our  country  harmonizes  equally 
with  its  main  object.  The  walls  will  require  paint  of  a  lighter  tint,  and  the 
ceiling  should  be  of  a  light  stone  color. 

13 


98  RURAL  ARCHITECTURE. 

Plate  51.  -   • 

Fig.  1.  The  front  elevation  of  a  Gothic  church,  for  a  village  or  country 
town ;  showing  the  steeple,  pointed  buttresses,  arches  and  finials,  witli  their 
proper  ornaments  ;  a  basement  for  school-room,  «S£C. 

Fi^  2.  The  elevation  of  a  Gothic  church,  with  a  low  basement.  The 
height  of  the  principal  story,  twenty-five  feet.  This  front  has  a  tower  and 
parapet;  the  tower  with  battlements  and  appropriate  ornaments.  The 
building,  fifty-two  feet  by  eighty,  exclusive  of  the  tower,  which  projects  ten 
feet.     Height  of  tower,  seventy-five  feet.     Scale,  twenty  feet  to  an  inch. 

Plate  52. 

Fig.  1.  Side  elevation  of  fig.  2,  plate  51.  Here  is  shown  the  spandrell 
window  caps,  or  drips,  the  turrets,  the  Tudor  flower  at  the  eaves,  the  trefoils 
and  quatrefoils.  The  windows  to  have  diamond  sash;  the  belfry  with  a 
large  quatrefoil  window. 

Fig.  2.  The  principal  floor  of  elevation  of  fig  2,  plate  51,  and  of  figure  1, 
plate  52.  This  floor  contains  eighty-four  pews,  in  which  five  hundred  per- 
sons can  be  seated  with  comfort ;  a,  the  entry ;  b,  b,  stair-cases ;  d,  d,  side 
aisles ;  c,  the  broad  aisle ;  g^  the  pulpit. 

Figs.  3  and  4,  the  front  and  back  ends.  Fig.  3  is  the  entrance  to  the  base- 
ment; a,  front  doorway  ;  b,  b,  stair-cases;  d,  d,  side  aisles  ;  c,  the  broad  aisle. 
Fig.  4  shows  the  arrangement  for  the  back  end  for  the  Episcopal  form  of 
worship  ;'  a,  the  altar;  6,  the  broad  aisle  ;  g,  g,  side  aisles;  c,/,  robing-rooms ; 
c,  the  reading,  and  d,  the  sermon  desk. 

Fig.  5  shows  the  elevation  of  pews,  reading-desk,  stairs  and  altar.  Each 
of  these  designs  is  drawn  on  a  scale  of  twenty  feet  to  an  inch. 


GLOSSARY 


ARCHITECTURAL    TERMS 


Abacus.  The  upper  member  of  the  capital  of 
a  column  whereon  the  architrave  rests.  Scam- 
mozzi  uses  this  term  for  a  concave  moulding  in 
the  capital  of  the  Tuscan  pedestal,  which,  con- 
sidering its  etymology,  is  an  error. 

Abulmerit.  The  solid  part  of  a  pier  from  which 
an  arch  springs. 

Acanthus.  A  plant  called  in  English  Bear''s 
Breech,  whose  leaves  are  employed  for  decorat- 
ing the  Corinthian  and  Composite  capitals.  The 
leaves  of  the  acanthus  are  used  on  the  bell  of  the 
capital,  and  distinguish  the  two  rich  orders  from 
the  three  others. 

Accompaniments.  Buildings  or  ornaments, 
having  a  necessary  connection  or  dependence,  and 
which  servo  to  make  a  design  more  or  less  com- 
plete ;  a  characteristic  peculiarity  of  ornaments. 

Accouplement.  Among  carpenters,  a  tie  or 
brace  ;  sometimes  the  entire  work  when  framed. 

Acroleria.  The  small  pedestals  placed  on  the 
extremities  and  ape.x  of  a  pediment. 

Admeasurement.  Adjustment  of  proportions  ; 
technically,  an  estimate  of  the  quantity  of  mate- 
rials and  labor  of  any  kind  used  in  a  building. 

Alcove.  The  original  and  strict  meaning  of 
this  word,  which  is  derived  from  the  Spanish 
Atcoba,  is  that  part  of  a  bed-chamber  in  which 
the  bed  stands,  and  is  separated  from  the  other 
parts  of  the  room  by  columns  or  pilasters. 

Amphiprosiyle.  In  ancient  architecture,  a  tem- 
ple with  columns  in  the  rear  as  well  as  in  the 
front. 

Amphitheatre.  A  double  theatre,  of  an  ellip- 
tical form  on  the  ground  plan,  for  the  exhibition 
of  the  ancient  gladiatorial  fights  and  other  shows. 


Ancones.  The  consoles  or  ornaments  cut  on 
the  keys  of  arches,  sometimes  serving  to  support 
busts  or  other  figures. 

Annulet.  A  small  square  moulding,  which 
crowns  or  accompanies  a  larger.  Also  that  fillet 
which  separates  the  flutings  of  a  column.  It  is 
sometimes  called  a  list,  or  listella,  which  see. 

Antce.  A  name  given  to  pilasters  attached  to 
a  wall. 

Apophyge.  That  part  of  a  column  between 
the  upper  fillet  of  the  base  and  the  cylindrical 
part  of  the  shaft  of  the  column,  which  is  usually 
curved  into  it  by  a  cavetto. 

Araostyle.  That  style  of  building  in  which 
the  columns  are  distant  four,  and  sometimes  five, 
diameters  from  each  other ;  but  the  former  is  the 
proportion  to  which  the  term  is  usually  applied. 
This  columnar  arrangement  is  suited  to  the  Tus- 
can order  only. 

Arcade,  A  series  of  arches,  of  apertures,  or 
recesses,  a  continued  covered  vault,  or  arches 
supported  on  piers  or  columns  instead  of  galle- 
ries. In  Italian  towns  the  streets  are  lined  with 
arcades  like  those  of  Covent  Garden  and  the 
Royal  Exchange. 

Arch.  An  artful  arrangement  of  bricks,  stones, 
or  other  materials,  in  a  curvilinear  form,  which, 
by  their  mutual  pressure  and  support,  perform  the 
office  of  a  lintel,  and  carry  superincumbent 
weights, — the  whole  resting  at  its  extremities 
upon  piers  or  abutments. 

Arch-buttress,  or  Flying-buttress,  (in  Gothic 
architecture,)  an  arch  springing  from  a  buttress 
or  pier,  and  abutting  against  a  wall. 

Archeion.     The  most  retired  and  secret  place 


100 


GLOSSARY  OF  ARCHITECTURAL  TERMS. 


in  Grecian  temples,  used  as  a  trcasurj',  wherein 
were  deposited  the  richest  treasures  pertaining  to 
the  deity,  to  whom  tlic  temple  was  dedicated. 

Architect.  One  who  designs  and  superintends 
the  erection  of  buildings. 

Architrave.  The  lower  of  the  primary  divi- 
sions of  the  entablature.  It  is  placed  immediate- 
ly upon  the  abacus  of  the  capital. 

Astragal.  From  the  Greek  word  for  a  bone 
in  the  foot,  to  which  this  moulding  was  supposed 
to  bear  a  resemblance.  A  small  moulding, 
whoso  profile  is  semi-circular,  and  which  bears 
also  the  name  of  Talon,  or  Tondino.  The  astra- 
gal is  often  cut  into  beads  and  berries,  and  used 
in  ornamental  entablatures  to  separate  the  faces 
of  the  architrave. 

Attic.  A  term  that  expresses  any  thing  invent- 
ed or  much  used  in  Attica,  or  the  city  of  Athens. 
A  low  story  erected  over  an  order  of  architecture, 
to  finish  the  up|)er  part  of  the  building,  being 
chiefly  used  to  conceal  the  roof,  and  give  greater 
dignity  to  the  design. 

Altic  Base.     [See  Base.] 

Attic  Order.  An  order  of  low  pilasters,  gener- 
ally placed  over  some  other  order  of  columns.  It 
is  improperly  so  called,  for  the  arrangement  can 
scarcely  be  called  an  order. 

Auriel,  or  Oriel,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a 
window  projecting  outwards  for  private  confer- 
ence :  whence  its  appellation. 

Balcony.  A  projection  from  the  surface  of  a 
wall,  supported  by  consoles  or  pillars,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  balustrade. 

Baluster.  A  small  pillar  or  pilaster,  serving 
to  support  a  rail.  Its  form  is  of  considerable 
variety,  in  different  examples.  Sometimes  it  is 
round,  at  other  times  square  ;  it  is  adorned  with 
mouldings  and  other  decorations,  according  to 
the  richness  of  the  order  it  accompanies. 

Balustrade.  A  connected  range  of  a  number 
of  balusters  on  balconies,  terraces  around  altars, 
iVc.     [See  Baluster.] 

Band.  A  term  used  to  express  what  is  gene- 
rally called  a  Face,  or  Facia.  It  more  properly 
means  a  flat  low  square  profiled  member,  without 
respect  to  its  place.  That  from  which  the  Corin- 
thian or  other  modillions,  or  the  deniils  project,  is 
called  the  modillion  band,  or  the  dentil  band,  as 
the  case  may  be. 

Bandelet.  A  diminutive  of  the  foregoing 
term,  used  to  express  any  narrow  flat  moulding. 


The  ta;nia  on  the  Doric  architrave  is  called  its 
Bandelet. 

Banker.  A  stone  bench  on  which  masons  cut 
and  square  their  work. 

Banquet.  The  footway  of  a  bridge  raised 
above  the  carriageway. 

Barrel  Drain.  A  drain  of  tlie  form  of  a  hol- 
low cylinder. 

Base.  The  lower  part  of  a  column,  moulded 
or  plain,  on  which  the  shaft  is  placed. 

Basement.  The  lower  part  or  story  of  a  build- 
ing, on  which  an  order  is  placed,  with  a  base  or 
plinth,  die  and  cornice. 

Basil.  A  word  used  by  carpenters,  &c.,  to 
denote  the  angle  to  which  any  edge  tool  is  ground 
and  fitted  for  cutting  wood,  &c. 

Basin,  en  Coquille,  that  is,  shaped  like  a  shell. 

Basin  is  likewise  used  for  a  dock. 

Basket.  A  kind  of  vase  in  the  form  of  a 
basket  filled  with  flowers  or  fruits,  serving  to  ter- 
minate some  decoration. 

Bassilica.  A  town  or  court  hall,  a  cathedral, 
a  palace,  where  kings  administer  justice. 

Basso-Relievo,  or  Bas  Relief.  The  represen- 
tation of  figures  projecting  from  a  back  ground, 
without  being  detached  from  it.  Though  this 
word,  in  general  language,  implies  all  kinds  of 
relievos,  from  that  of  coins,  to  more  than  one 
half  of  the  thickness  from  the  back  ground. 

Bath.  A  receptacle  of  water  appropriated  for 
the  purpose  of  bathing. 

Batten.  A  scantling  of  stuff",  from  two  six 
inches  broad,  and  from  ^  to  2  inches  thick,  used 
in  the  boarding  of  floors;  also  upon  walls,  in  or- 
der to  secure  the  lath  on  which  the  plaster  is  laid. 

Batter.  When  a  wall  is  built  in  a  direction 
that  is  not  perpendicular. 

Battlements.  Indentations  on  the  top  of  a  para- 
pet, or  wall,  first  used  in  ancient  fortifications; 
and  afterwards  applied  to  churches  and  other 
buildings. 

Bay,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  an  opening  be- 
tween piers,  beams,  or  mullions. 

Bay  Window.     [See  Auriel.] 

Bead  and  Flush  >cork.  A  piece  of  panel  work, 
with  a  bead  run  on  each  edge  of  the  included 
panel. 

Bead  and  But  work.  A  piece  of  framing  in 
which  the  panels  are  flush,  having  beads  stuck  or 
run  upon  the  two  edges  with  the  grain  of  the 
wood  in  their  direction. 


GLOSSARY  OF  ARCHITECTURAL  TERMS. 


101 


Bed-Mouldings.  Those  mouldings  in  all  the 
orders  between  the  corona  and  frieze. 

Billel-Moidding,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a 
cylindrical  moulding,  discontinued  and  renewed 
at  regular  intervals. 

Bollel,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  slender  shafts, 
whether  arranged  round  a  pier,  or  attached  to 
doors,  windows,  &c.  The  term  is  also  used  for 
any  cylindrical  moulding. 

Boss,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  sculptured 
protuberance  at  the  interjunction  of  the  ribs  in  a 
vaulted  roof. 

Bossage.  (A  French  term.)  Any  projection 
left  rough  on  the  face  of  a  stone  for  the  purpose 
of  sculpture,  which  is  usually  the  last  thing 
finished. 

Boullin.  A  name  given  to  the  moulding, 
called  the  egg  or  quarter-round. 

Broach,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  spire,  or 
polygonal  pyramid,  whether  of  stone  or  timber. 

Bracket,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  projection 
to  sustain  a  statue,  or  other  ornament ;  and  some- 
times supporting  the  ribs  of  a  roof. 

Bulk.  A  piece  of  timber  from  4  to  10  inches 
square,  and  is  sometimes  called  ranging  timber. 

Buttress,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  projection 
on  the  exterior  of  a  wall,  to  strengthen  the  piers 
and  resist  the  pressure  of  the  arches  within. 

Cabling.  The  filling  up  of  the  lower  part  of  the 
fluting  of  a  column,  with  a  solid  cylindrical  piece. 
Flutings  thus  treated  are  said  to  be  cabled. 

Caisson.  A  name  given  to  the  sunk  panels  of 
various  geometrical  forms,  symmetrically  dispos- 
ed in  flat  or  vaulted  ceilings,  or  in  sofiits,  gene- 
rally. 

Canopy,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  the  orna- 
mented dripstone  of  an  arch.  It  is  usually  of  the 
ogee  form. 

Canted,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  any  part  of 
a  building  having  its  angles  cut  off",  is  said  to  be 
canted. 

Capital.  The  head  or  uppermost  part  of  a 
column  or  pilaster. 

Carpenter.  An  artificer  whose  business  is  to 
cut,  fashion  and  join  timbers  together,  and  other 
wood  for  the  purpose  of  building :  the  word  is 
from  the  French  charpentier,  derived  from  char- 
pentie,  which  signifies  timber. 

Carpentry,  or  that  branch  which  is  to  claim 
our  attention,  is  divided  into  three  principal  heads, 
viz.,  Constructive,  Descriptive,  and  Mechanical ; 
of  these,  Descriptive  carpentry  shows  the  lines 


or  methods  for  forming  every  species  of  work  in 
piano,  by  the  rules  of  geometry ;  Constructive 
carpentry,  the  practice  of  reducing  the  wood  into 
particular  forms,  and  joining  the  forms  so  produc- 
ed, so  as  to  make  a  complete  whole,  according  to 
the  intention  of  the  design  :  and  Mechanical  car- 
pentry displays  the  relative  strength  of  the  tim- 
bers, and  the  strains  to  which  they  are  subjected 
by  their  disposition. 

Carlouch.  The  same  as  modillions,  except 
that  it  is  exclusively  used  to  signify  those  blocks 
or  modillions  at  the  eaves  of  a  house.  [See  Mo- 
dillion.] 

Caryatides.  Figures  of  women,  which  serve 
instead  of  columns  to  support  the  entablature. 

Casement.  The  same  as  Scotia,  which  see. 
The  term  is  also  used  for  a  sash  hung  upon  hinges. 

Cauliculus.  The  volute  or  twist  under  the 
flower  in  the  Corinthian  capital. 

Cavetto.  A  hollow  moulding,  whose  profile  is 
a  quadrant  of  a  circle,  principally  used  in  cor- 
nices. 

Cell.     [See  Naos.] 

Cincture.  A  ring,  list,  or  fillet,  at  the  top  or 
bottom  of  a  column,  serving  to  divide  the  shaft 
of  the  column  from  its  capital  and  base. 

Chamfer,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  an  arch,  or 
jamb  of  a  door,  canted. 

Champ,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  flat  surface 
in  a  wall  or  pier,  as  distinguished  from  a  moulding, 
shaft,  or  panel. 

Cinque-foil,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  an  orna- 
mental figure  with  five  leaves  or  points. 

Column.  A  member  in  architecture  of  a  cylin- 
drical form,  consisting  of  a  base,  a  shaft  or  body, 
and  a  capital.  It  differs  from  the  pilaster,  which 
is  square  on  the  plan.  Columns  should  always 
stand  perpendicularly. 

Composite  Order.  One  of  the  orders  of  ar- 
chitecture. 

Cope,  Coping,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  the 
stone  covering  the  top  of  a  wall  or  parapet. 

Corbel,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  kind  of 
bracket.  The  term  is  generally  used  for  a  con- 
tinued series  of  brackets  on  the  exterior  of  a 
building  supporting  a  projecting  battlement, 
which  is  called  a  Corbel  table. 

Corinthian  Order.  One  of  the  orders  of  ar- 
chitecture. 

Cornice.  The  projection  consisting  of  several 
members  which  crowns  or  finishes  an  entablature, 
or  the  body  or  part  to  which  it  is  annexed.     The 


102 


GLOSSARY  OF  ARCHITECTURAL  TERMS. 


cornice  used  on  a  pedestal  is  called  the  cap  of 
the  pedestal. 

Corona.  Is  that  flat,  square,  and  massy  mem- 
ber of  a  cornice,  more  usually  called  the  drip  or 
larmier,  whose  situation  is  between  the  cymatium 
above,  and  the  bed-moulding  below.  Its  use  is  to 
carry  the  water,  drop  by  drop,  from  the  building 

Corridor.  A  gallery  or  open  communication 
to  the  different  apartments  of  a  house. 

Corsa.  The  name  given  by  Vitruvius  to  a 
platband  or  square  facia,  whose  height  is  more 
than  its  projccturo. 

Crenelle,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  the  opening 
of  an  embattled  parapet. 

Crest,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  crowning 
ornament  of  leaves  running  on  the  top  of  a 
screen,  or  other  ornamental  work. 

Crocket,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  an  ornament 
of  leaves  running  up  the  sides  of  a  gable,  or 
ornamented  canopy. 

Cupola.  A  small  room  either  circular  or  poly- 
gonal, standing  on  the  top  of  a  dome.  By  some 
it  is  called  a  lantern. 

Cushioned.     [See  Frieze.] 

Cusp,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  name  for  the 
segments  of  circles  forming  the  trefoil,  quatre- 
foil,  &c. 

Cyma,  called  also  Cymatium,  its  name  arising 
from  its  resemblance  to  a  wave.  A  moulding 
which  is  hollow  in  its  upper  part,  and  swelling 
below. 

Decagon.  A  plain  figure,  having  ten  sides 
and  angles. 

Decastylc.  A  building  having  ten  columns  in 
front. 

Decempeda.  (Decern,  ten,  and  pes,  foot,  Lat.) 
A  rod  of  ten  feet  used  by  the  ancients  in  measur- 
ing. It  was  subdivided  into  twelve  inches  in  each 
foot,  and  ten  digits  in  each  inch  ;  like  surveyors' 
rods  used  in  measuring  short  distances,  &c. 

Decimal  Scale.  Scales  of  this  kind  are  used 
by  draftsmen,  to  regulate  the  dimensions  of  their 
drawings. 

Decoration.  Any  thing  that  enriches  or  gives 
beauty  and  ornament  to  tlic  ordcre  of  architecture. 

Demi-Metope.  The  half  a  metope,  which  is 
found  at  the  retiring  or  projecting  angles  of  a 
Doric  frieze. 

Dentils.  Small  square  blocks  or  projections 
used  in  the  bed-mouldings  of  the  cornices  in 
the  Ionic,  Corinthian,  Composite,  and  sometimes 
Doric,  orders. 


Details  of  an  Edifice.  Drawings  or  delinea- 
tions for  the  use  of  builders,  otherwise  called 
working  plans. 

Diagonal  Scale  is  a  scale  subdivided  into 
smaller  parts  by  secondary  intersections  or  ob- 
lique lines. 

Diameter.  The  line  in  a  circle  passing  from 
the  circumference  through  the  centre. 

Diamond.  A  sharp  instrument  formed  of  that 
precious  stone  and  used  for  cutting  glass. 

Diapered,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  panel,  or 
other  Hut  surface,  sculptured  with  flowers,  is  said 
to  be  diapered. 

Diastyle.  That  intercolumniation  or  space  be- 
tween columns,  consisting  of  three  diameters — 
some  say  four  diameters. 

Die,  or  Dye.  A  naked  square  cube.  Thus 
the  body  of  a  pedestal,  or  that  part  between  its 
base  and  cap,  is  called  the  die  of  the  pedestal. 
Some  call  the  abacus  the  die  of  the  capital. 

Dimension.  (Dimetier,  Lat.)  In  geometry  is 
either  length,  breadth,  or  thickness. 

DiminutioJi.  A  term  expressing  the  gradual 
decrease  of  thickness  in  the  upper  part  of  a 
column. 

Dipteral.  A  term  used  by  the  ancients  to  ex- 
press a  temple  with  a  double  range  of  columns 
in  each  of  its  flanks. 

Dodecagon.  A  regular  polygon,  with  twelve 
equal  sides  and  angles. 

Dodecastyle.  A  building  having  twelve  col- 
umns in  front. 

Dome.  An  arched  or  vaulted  roof  springing 
from  a  polygonal,  circular  or  elliptic  plane. 

Doric  Order.  One  of  the  five  orders  of  ar- 
chitecture. 

Dormant,  or  Dormer  windoxc,  (in  Gothic  archi- 
tecture,) a  window  set  upon  the  slope  of  a  roof 
or  spire. 

Dooks.  Flat  pieces  of  wood  of  the  shape  and 
size  of  a  brick,  inserted  in  brick  walls,  sometimes 
called  plugs  or  wooden  bricks. 

Door.  The  gate  or  entrance  of  a  house,  or 
other  building,  or  of  an  apartment  in  a  house. 

Dormitory.     A  sleeping  room. 

Drawing,  or  Withdrawins  Room.  A  large 
and  elegant  apartment,  into  which  the  company 
withdraw  after  dinner. 

Dressing- Room.  An  apartment  contiguous 
to  the  sleeping-room,  for  the  convenience  of 
dressing. 

Drip,    (in   Gothic    architecture,)   a    moulding 


GLOSSARY  OF  ARCHITECTURAL  TERMS. 


103 


much  resembling  the  cymatium  of  Roman  archi- 
tecture, and  used  for  tlie  same  purpose  as  a 
canopy  over  the  arch  of  a  door  or  window. 

Drops.     [See  Guttre.] 

Echinus.  The  same  as  the  ovolo  or  quarter- 
round  ;  but  perhaps  it  is  only  called  Echinus 
with  propriety. 

Edging.  The  reducing  the  edges  of  ribs  or 
rafters,  that  they  may  range  together. 

Elboies  of  a  Windoie.  Tiie  two  paneled 
flanks,  one  under  each  shutter. 

Elevation.  A  geometrical  projection  drawn 
on  a  plane,  perpendicular  to  the  horizon. 

Embankments  are  artificial  mounds  of  earth, 
stone,  or  other  materials,  made  to  confine  rivers, 
canals,  and  reservoirs  of  water  within  their  pre- 
scribed limits ;  also  for  leveling  up  of  rail- 
roads, &c. 

Embrasure,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  the  same 
as  Crenelle,  which  see. 

Encarpus.  The  festoons  on  a  frieze,  consist- 
ing of  fruits,  flowers,  and  leaves.     [See  Festoon.] 

Entablature.  The  assemblage  of  parts  sup- 
ported by  the  column.  It  consists  of  three  parts, 
the  architrave,  frieze,  and  cornice. 

Entail,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  delicate 
carving. 

Entasis.  The  slight  curvature  of  the  shafts 
of  ancient  Grecian  columns,  particularly  the 
Doric,  which  is  scarcely  perceptible,  and  beauti- 
fully graceful. 

Entresol.     [See  Mezzanine.] 

Episiylum.    The  same  as  architrave,  vvhich  see. 

Eustyle.  That  intercolumniation,  which  as  its 
name  would  import,  the  ancients  considered  the 
most  elegant,  namely,  two  diameters  and  a  quarter 
of  a  column.  Vitruvius  says  this  manner  of  ar- 
ranging columns  exceeds  all  others  in  strength, 
convenience,  and  beauty. 

Facade.  The  face  or  front  of  any  considerable 
building  to  a  street,  court,  garden,  or  other  place. 

Facia.  A  flat  member  in  the  entablature  or 
elsewhere,  being  in  fact  nothing  more  than  a  band 
or  broad  fillet. 

Fane,  Phane,  Vane,  (in  Gothic  architecture,) 
a  plate  of  metal  usually  cut  into  some  fantastic 
form,  and  turning  on  a  pivot  to  determine  the 
course  of  the  wind. 

Fastigium.     [See  Pediment.] 

Feather-edged  Boards  are  narrow  boards 
made  thin  on  one  edge.  They  are  used  for  the 
facings  or  boarding  of  wooden  walls. 


Festoon.  An  ornament  of  carved  work,  re- 
presenting a  wreath  or  garland  of  flowers  or 
leaves,  or  both,  interwoven  with  each  other. 

Fillet.  The  small  square  member,  which  is 
placed  above  or  below  the  various  square  or 
curved  members  in  an  order. 

Finial,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  the  ornament 
consisting  usually  of  four  crockets,  which  is  em- 
ployed to  finish  a  pinnacle,  gable,  or  canopy. 

Flank.  The  least  side  of  a  pavilion,  by  which 
it  is  joined  to  the  main  building. 

Flatning,  in  inside  house  painting,  is  the  mode 
of  finishing  without  leaving  a  gloss  on  the  surface, 
which  is  done  by  adding  the  spirits  of  turpentine 
to  unboiled  linseed  oil. 

Flight  of  Stairs,  is  a  series  of  steps,  from  one 
landing-place  to  another. 

Floors.     The  bottom  of  rooms. 

Flutings.  The  vertical  channels  on  the  shafts 
of  columns,  which  are  usually  rounded  at  the  top 
and  bottom. 

Flyers  are  steps  in  a  series,  which  are  parallel 
to  each  other. 

Folding  Doors  are  made  to  meet  each  other 
from  opposite  jambs,  on  which  they  are  hung. 

Foliage.  An  ornamental  distribution  of  leaves 
or  flowers  on  various  parts  of  the  building. 

Foreshorten.  A  term  applicable  to  the  draw- 
ings or  designs  in  which,  from  the  obliquity  of 
the  view,  the  object  is  represented  as  receding 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the  plane  of  the  pro- 
jection. 

Foundation.  That  part  of  a  building  or  wall 
which  is  below  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

Foot.  A  measure  of  twelve  inches,  each  inch 
being  three  barleycorns. 

Frame.  The  name  given  to  the  wood  work  of 
windows,  enclosing  glass,  and  the  outward  work 
of  doors  or  windows,  or  window  shutters,  enclos- 
ing panels ;  and  in  carpentry,  to  the  timber  work 
supporting  floors,  roofs,  ceilings,  or  to  the  inter- 
secting pieces  of  timbers  forming  partitions. 

Fret.  A  kind  of  ornamental  work,  which  is 
laid  on  a  plane  surface  :  the  Greek  fret  is  formed 
by  a  series  of  right  angles  of  fillets,  of  various 
forms  and  figures. 

Frieze,  or  Frize.  The  middle  member  of  the 
entablature  of  an  order,  which  separates  the  ar- 
chitrave and  the  cornice. 

Frontispiece.  The  face  or  fore  front  of  a 
house ;  but  it  is  a  term  more  usually  applied  to 
its  decorated  entrance. 


104 


GLOSSARY  OF  ARCHITECTURAL  TERMS. 


Front.  A  name  given  to  the  principal  interior 
facade  of  a  building. 

Frustum.  A  piece  cut  off  from  a  regular 
figure :  the  frustum  of  a  cone  is  the  part  that  re- 
mains when  the  top  is  cut  olT  by  an  intersection 
parallel  to  its  base,  as  the  Grecian  Doric  column 
without  a  base. 

Furrings,  are  flat  pieces  of  timber,  plank,  or 
board,  used  by  carpenters  to  bring  dislocated 
work  to  a  regular  surface. 

Fust.     The  shaft  of  a  column.     [See  Shaft.] 

Gable,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  tlie  triangu- 
larly-headed wall  which  covers  the  end  of  a  roof. 

Gable  window,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  win- 
dow in  a  gable.  These  are  generally  the  largest 
windows  in  the  composition,  frequently  occupying 
nearly  the  whole  space  of  the  wall. 

Gablet,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  little  gable. 
[See  Canopy.] 

Gage.  In  carpentrj',  an  instrument  to  strike  a 
line  parallel  to  the  straight  side  of  any  board  or 
piece  of  stuff. 

Gain.  The  bevelled  shoulder  of  a  binding 
joist. 

Garland,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  an  orna- 
mental band  surrounding  the  top  of  a  tower  or 
spire. 

Glyphs.  The  vertical  channels  sunk  in  the 
triglyphs  of  the  Doric  frieze. 

Gola,  or  Gula.    The  same  as  Ogee,  which  see. 

Gorge.     The  same  as  Cavetto,  which  see. 

Gouge.     A  chisel  of  a  semi-circular  form. 

Granite.  A  genus  of  stone  much  used  in 
building,  composed  chiefly  of  quartz,  feldspar 
and  mica,  forming  rough  and  large  masses  of 
very  great  hardness. 

Groin,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  the  diagonal 
line  formed  by  the  intersection  of  two  vaults  in  a 
roof 

Groined  Ceiling.  A  surface  formed  of  three 
or  more  curved  surfaces,  so  that  every  two  may 
form  a  groin,  all  the  groins  terminating  at  one 
extremity  in  a  common  point. 

Groove  or  Mortise.  The  channel  made  by  a 
joiner's  plane  in  the  edge  of  a  moulding,  style, 
or  rail,  to  receive  the  tenon. 

Ground  Floor.    The  lowest  story  of  a  building. 

Ground  Plane.  A  lino  forming  the  ground  of 
a  design  or  picture,  which  line  is  a  tangent  to  the 
surface  of  the  face  of  the  globe. 

Ground  Plot.  The  ground  on  which  a  build- 
ing is  placed. 


Grounds.  Joiners  give  this  name  to  narrow 
strips  of  wood  put  in  walls  to  receive  the  laths 
and  plastering. 

Gulta  or  Drops.  Those  frustra  of  cones  in 
the  Doric  entablature  which  occur  in  the  archi- 
trave below  the  taenia  under  each  triglyph. 

Gutters,  are  a  kind  of  canals  in  the  roofs  of 
houses,  to  receive  and  carry  ofl"  rain  water. 

Halving.  The  junction  of  two  pieces  of  tim- 
ber, by  inserting  one  into  the  other  ;  in  some  cases 
to  be  preferred  to  mortising. 

Hand-Railing.  The  art  of  forming  hand-rails 
round  circular  and  elliptic  well-holes  without  the 
use  of  the  cylinder 

Hanging-Stile,  of  a  door.  Is  that  to  which  the 
hinges  arc  fixed. 

Heel  of  a  Rafter.  The  end  or  foot  that  rests 
upon  the  wall  plate. 

Helical  Line  of  a  Hand-rail.  The  line,  or 
spiral  line,  representing  the  form  of  the  hand-rail 
before  it  is  moulded. 

Helix.  The  curling  stalk  under  the  flower  ia 
the  Corinthian  capital.     [See  Cauliculus.] 

//cm.  The  spiral  projecting  part  of  the  Ionic 
capital. 

Hexastyle.  A  building  having  si.x  columns  in 
front. 

Hood-mould,  (in  Gothic  architecture.)  (See 
Drip.) 

Hook-Pins.  The  same  as  Draw  bore-pins,  to 
keep  the  tenons  in  their  place,  while  in  the  pro- 
gress of  framing  :  the  pin  has  a  head  or  notch 
in  the  outer  end  to  draw  it  at  pleasure. 

Hypcethral.  Open  at  lop ;  uncovered  by  a  roof. 

Hyperthyron.     The  lintel  of  a  doorway. 

Hypotraclielium.  A  term  given  by  Viiruviua 
to  the  slenderest  part  of  the  shaft  of  a  column 
where  it  joins  the  capital.  It  signifies  the  part 
under  the  neck. 

Inchnography.  The  transverse  section  of  a 
building,  which  represents  the  circumference  of 
the  whole  edifice;  the  diflerent  rooms  and  apart- 
ments, with  the  thickness  of  the  walls ;  the  dimen- 
sions and  situation  of  the  doors,  windows,  chim- 
neys; the  projection  of  columns,  and  every  thing 
that  could  be  seen  in  such  a  section,  if  really 
made  in  a  building. 

Impost.  The  layer  of  stone  or  wood  that 
crowns  a  door-post  or  pier,  and  which  supports 
the  base  line  of  an  arch  or  arcade  ;  it  generally 
projects,  and  is  sometimes  formed  of  an  assem- 
blage of  mouldings. 


GLOSSARY  OF  ARCHITECTURAL  TERMS. 


105 


Inch.  The  twelfth  part  of  a  foot.  For  the  pur- 
pose of  reckoning  in  decimal  fractions,  it  is  divid- 
ed into  ten  parts  or  integers. 

Inclined  Plane.  One  of  the  mechanical  pow- 
ers, used  for  raising  ponderous  bodies,  in  many 
instances  of  immense  weight ;  a  declivity  of  a 
hill,  &c. 

Insular  Column.,  is  a  column  standing  by  itself. 

Insulated.    Detached  from  another  building. 

Intaglio.     Any  thing  with  figures  in  relief  on  it. 

Intercolumniation.  The  distance  between  two 
columns. 

Intrados.  The  under  curved  surface  or  soffit 
of  an  arch. 

Inverted  Arches.  Such  as  have  their  intrados 
below  the  centre  or  axis. 

Ionic  Order.  One  of  the  orders  of  architec- 
ture. 

Jack  Plane.  A  plane  about  18  inches  long, 
to  prepare  for  the  trying  plane. 

Jack  Rafters.  The  jack  timbers,  which  are 
fastened  to  the  hip  rafters  and  the  wall  plates. 

Jamhs.  The  side  pieces  of  any  opening  in  a 
wall,  which  bear  the  piece  that  discharges  the 
superincumbent  weight  of  such  wall. 

Joinery,  in  building,  is  confined  to  the  nicer 
and  more  ornamental  parts. 

Jointer.  A  tool  used  for  straightening  and 
preparing  stuff  for  joints,  &c.  This  jointer  is 
about  two  feet  eight  or  ten  inches  long. 

Kerf.  The  slit  or  cut  in  a  piece  of  timber,  or 
in  a  stone,  by  a  saw. 

King  Post.  The  middle  post  in  a  section  of 
rafters. 

Label,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  name  for  the 
drip  or  hood-moulding  of  an  arch  when  it  is  re- 
turned square. 

Lacunar,  or  Laquear.    The  same  as  Soffit. 

Lantern,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  turret  or 
tower  placed  above  a  building,  pierced  either 
with  windows  to  admit  light,  or  holes  to  let  out 
steam. 

Larmier.    Called  also  Corona,  which  see. 

Lath.  A  narrow  slip  of  wood  1|  to  IJ  inches 
wide,  I  to  f  inch  thick,  and  four  feet  long,  used 
in  plastering. 

Leaves.  Ornaments  representing  natural  leaves. 
The  ancients  used  two  sorts  of  leaves,  natural  and 
imaginary.  The  natural  were  those  of  the  laurel, 
palm,  acanthus,  and  olive ;  but  they  took  such 
liberties  in  the  form  of  these,  that  they  might 
almost  be  said  to  be  imaginary,  too. 

14 


Level.  A  surface  which  inclines  to  neither 
side. 

Lining.  Covering  for  the  interior,  as  casing 
is  covering  the  exterior  surface  of  a  building. 

Lintel.  A  piece  of  timber  or  stone  placed 
horizontally  over  a  door,  window,  or  other  open- 
ing. 

List  or  Listel.     The  same  as  fillet,  or  annulet. 

Listing.  The  cutting  the  sap-wood  out  from 
both  edges  of  a  board. 

Loop,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  small  narrow 
window. 

Louvre,  (in  Gothic  architecture.)  [See  Lan- 
tern.] 

Liijfer  Boarding.     The  same  as  blind  slats. 

Machicolations,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  small 
openings  in  an  embattled  parapet,  for  the  dis- 
charge of  missile  weapons  upon  the  assailants. 
Frequently  these  openings  are  underneath  the 
parapet,  in  which  case  the  whole  is  brought  for- 
ward and  supported  by  corbels. 

Mechanical  Carpentry.  That  branch  of  car- 
pentry which  teaches  the  disposition  of  the  tim- 
bers according  to  their  relative  strength,  and  the 
strains  to  which  they  are  subjected. 

Mediceval  Architecture.  The  architecture  of 
England,  France,  Germany,  &c.,  during  the 
middle  ages,  including  the  Norman  and  early 
Gothic  styles. 

Members.  ( MemSnon,  Lat.)  The  different  parts 
of  a  building;  the  different  parts  of  an  entabla- 
ture ;  the  different  mouldings  of  a  cornice,  &c. 

Metope.  The  square  space  between  two  tri- 
glyphs  of  the  Doric  order.  It  is  sometimes  left 
plain,  at  other  times  decorated  with  sculpture. 

Mezzanine.  A  low  story  introduced  between 
two  principal  stories. 

Minerva  Polias.    A  Grecian  temple  at  Athens. 

Minute.  The  sixtieth  part  of  the  diameter  of 
a  column.  It  is  the  subdivision  by  which  archi- 
tects measure  the  small  parts  of  an  order. 

Mitre.  An  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  a  half 
of  a  right  angle. 

Modillio7i.  An  ornament  in  the  entablature 
of  richer  orders  resembling  a  bracket. 

Module.  The  semi-diameter  of  a  column. 
This  term  is  only  properly  used  when  speaking 
of  the  orders.  As  a  semi-diameter  it  consists  of 
only  thirty  minutes.     [See  Minute.] 

Mosaic.  A  kind  of  painting  representing 
cubes  of  glass,  &c.,  and  is  formed  of  different 
colored  stones,  for  paving,  &c.     Specimens  of 


106 


GLOSSARY  OF  ARCHITECTURAL  TERMS. 


this  kind  have  been  found  among  the  ruins  of  an- 
tiquity. 

Mouldings.  Those  parts  of  an  order  which 
are  shaped  into  various  curved  or  square  forms. 

Moulh.     The  same  as  Cavctto,  which  see. 

Mulule.  A  projecting  ornament  of  the  Doric 
cornice  wliich  occupies  the  place  of  the  modillion 
in  imilation  of  the  ends  of  rafters. 

Mullion,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  the  frame- 
work of  a  window. 

Naked.  Tlie  unornamented  plain  surface  of  a 
wall,  column,  or  other  part  of  a  building. 

Naos,  or  Cella.  The  part  of  a  temjile  witliin 
the  walls. 

Newel.  The  solid,  or  imaginary  solid,  when 
the  stairs  are  open  in  the  centre,  round  which  the 
steps  are  turned  about. 

Niche.  A  square  or  cylindrical  cavity  in  a 
wall  or  other  solid. 

Obelisk.  A  tall  slender  frustrum  of  a  pyra- 
mid, usually  placed  on  a  pedestal.  The  differ- 
ence between  an  obelisk  and  a  pyramid,  inde- 
pendent of  the  former  being  only  a  portion  of 
the  latter  is,  that  it  always  has  a  small  base  in 
proportion  to  its  height. 

Octastyle.  A  building  with  eight  columns  in 
front. 

Ogee,  or  Ogive.  The  same  as  Cyma,  which 
see. 

Order.  An  assemblage  of  parts,  consisting  of 
a  base,  shaA,  capital,  architrave,  frieze  and  cor- 
nice, whose  several  services  requiring  some  dis- 
tinction in  strength,  have  been  contrived  or  de- 
signed in  five  several  species — Tuscan,  Doric, 
Ionic,  Corinthian,  and  Composite  ;  each  of  which 
has  its  ornaments,  as  well  as  general  fabric,  pro- 
portioned to  its  strength  and  character. 

Ordonnance.  The  arrangement  of  a  design 
and  the  disposition  of  its  several  parts. 

Orle.  (Ilal.)  A  fillet  or  band  under  the 
ovolo  of  llie  capital.  Palladio  applies  the  term 
also  to  the  plinth  of  the  base  of  a  column  or 
pedestal. 

Ovolo.  A  moulding  sometimes  called  a  quar- 
ter-round, from  its  profile,  being  the  quadrant  of 
a  circle.  When  sculptured  it  is  called  an  Echi- 
nus, which  see. 

Panel.  A  thin  board  having  all  its  edges  in- 
serted in  the  groove  of  a  surrounding  frame. 

Parapet.  From  the  Italian  Parapetto,  breast- 
high.  The  defence  round  a  terrace  or  roof  of  u 
building. 


ParaslaliC.     Pilasters  standing  insulated. 

Pavilion.  A  turret  or  small  building  generally 
insulated,  and  comprised  beneath  a  single  roof. 

Pedestal.  The  substruction  under  a  column 
or  wall.  A  pedestal  under  a  column  consists  of 
three  parts, — the  base,  the  die,  and  the  cornice  or 
cap. 

Pediment.  The  low  triangular  crowning  or- 
nament of  the  front  of  a  building,  or  of  a  door, 
window,  or  niche. 

Pend,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  vaulted  roof 
without  groining. 

Pendant,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  hanging 
ornament  in  highly-enriched  vaulted  roofs. 

Pinnacle,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  small 
spire. 

Peripteral.  A  term  used  by  the  ancients  to 
express  a  building  encompassed  by  columns, 
forming,  as  it  were,  an  aisle  round  the  building. 

Peristylium.  In  Greek  and  Roman  houses,  a 
court,  square,  or  cloister. 

Perspective.  Is  the  science  which  teaches  us 
to  dispose  the  lines  and  shades  of  a  picture,  so  as 
to  represent,  on  a  plane,  the  image  of  objects  ex- 
actly as  they  appear  in  nature. 

Piazza.  A  continued  arch-way,  or  vaulting, 
supported  by  pillars  or  columns ;  a  portico. 

Pier.  A  solid  between  the  doors  or  the  win- 
dows of  a  building.  The  square  or  other  formed 
mass  or  post  to  which  a  gate  is  hung. 

Pilaster.     A  square  pillar  engaged  in  a  wall. 

Pile.  A  stake  or  beam  of  timbers,  driven 
firmly  into  the  ground. 

Pillar.  A  column  of  irregular  form,  always 
disengaged,  and  always  deviating  from  the  pro- 
portions of  the  orders ;  whence  the  distinction 
between  a  pillar  and  a  column. 

Platband.  A  square  moulding,  whose  projec- 
tion is  less  than  its  height  or  breadth. 

Plinth.  The  square  solid  under  the  base  of  a 
column,  pedestal,  or  wall. 

Porch.  An  arched  vestibule  at  the  entrance 
of  a  church,  or  other  building. 

Portico.  A  place  for  walking  under  shelter, 
raised  with  arches  in  the  manner  of  a  gallery  ; 
the  portico  is  usually  vaulted,  but  has  sometimes 
a  flat  soflit  or  ceiling.  This  word  is  also  used  to 
denote  the  projection  before  a  church  or  temple 
supported  by  columns. 

Post.  A  piece  of  timber  set  erect  in  the 
earth.  Perpendicular  timbers  of  the  wooden 
frame  of  a  building. 


GLOSSARY   OF  ARCHITECTURAL  TERMS. 


107 


Poslicum.  The  back  door  of  a  temple  ;  also 
the  portico  behind  the  temple. 

Principal  Rafters.  The  two  incHned  timbers 
which  support  the  roof. 

Profile.  The  contour  of  the  different  parts  of 
an  order. 

Projecttire.  The  prominence  of  the  mould- 
ings, and  members  beyond  the  naked  surface  of 
a  column,  wall,  &c. 

Proscenium.  The  front  part  of  the  stage  of  the 
ancient  theatres,  on  which  the  actors  performed. 

Prostyle.  A  building  or  temple  with  columns 
in  front  only. 

Purlins.  Pieces  of  timber  framed  horizon- 
tally from  the  principal  rafters  to  keep  the  com- 
mon rafters  from  sinking  in  the  middle. 

Pycnoslyle.  An  intercolumniation  equal  to 
one  diameter  and  a  half. 

Pyramid.  A  solid  with  a  square  polygonal  or 
Triangular  base,  terminating  in  a  point  at  top. 

Quarter- Round.     [See  Ovolo  and  Echinus.] 

Qualrefoil,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  an  orna- 
ment in  tracery,  consisting  of  four  segments  of 
circles,  or  cusps,  within  a  circle. 

Quirk  Motddings.  The  convex  part  of  Gre- 
cian mouldings,  when  they  recede  at  the  top, 
forming  a  reenticent  angle  with  the  surface  which 
covers  the  moulding. 

Quoins.  The  external  and  internal  angles  of 
buildings  or  of  their  members.     The  corners. 

Radius,  in  geometry,  is  the  semi-diameter  of  a 
circle,  or  a  right  line  drawn  from  the  centre  to 
the  circumference  ;  in  mechanics,  the  spoke  of  a 
wheel. 

Rails,  in  framing,  the  pieces  that  lie  hori- 
zontal ;  and  the  perpendicular  pieces,  are  called 
stiles,  in  wainscoting,  &c. 

Raking.  A  term  applied  to  mouldings  whose 
arrises  are  inclined  to  the  horizon. 

Relievo,  or  Relief.  The  projecture  of  an 
architectural  ornament. 

Resistance,  in  mechanics,  that  power  which 
acts  in  opposition  to  another,  so  as  to  diminish  or 
destroy  its  effect. 

Reticulated  work.  That  in  which  the  courses 
are  arranged  in  a  net-like  form.  The  stones  are 
square,  and  placed  lozengewise. 

Return.  (Fr.)  The  continuation  of  a  mould- 
ing, projection,  &c.  in  an  opposite  direction,  as 
the  flank  of  a  portico,  &c. 

Rib.  (Sax.)  An  arched  piece  of  timber  sus- 
taining the  plaster-work  of  a  vault,  &c. 


Ridge.  The  top  of  the  roof  which  rises  to  an 
acute  angle. 

Ritig.  A  name  sometimes  given  to  the  list, 
cincture,  or  fillet. 

Roman  Order.  Another  name  for  the  Com- 
posite. 

Rose.  The  representation  of  this  flower  is 
carved  in  the  centre  of  each  face  of  the  abacus 
in  the  Corinthian  capital,  and  is  called  the  Rose 
of  that  capital. 

Rustic.  The  courses  of  stone  or  brick,  in 
which  the  work  is  jagged  out  into  an  irregular 
surface.     Also,  work  left  rough  without  tooling. 

Sagging.  The  bending  of  a  body  in  the  mid- 
dle by  its  own  weight,  when  suspended  horizon- 
tally by  each  end. 

Salon.  An  apartment  for  state,  or  for  the 
reception  of  paintings,  and  usually  running  up 
through  two  stories  of  the  house.  It  may  be 
square,  oblong,  polygonal,  or  circular. 

Saloon.  {Fr.)  A  lofty  hall,  usually  vaulted  at 
the  top,  with  two  stages  of  windows. 

Sash.  The  wooden  frame  which  holds  the 
glass  in  windows. 

Scaffold.  A  frame  of  wood  fixed  to  walls,  for 
masons,  plasterers,  &c.  to  stand  on. 

Scantling.  The  name  of  a  piece  of  timber, 
as  of  quartering  for  a  partition,  when  under  five 
inches  square,  or  the  rafter,  purlin,  or  pole-plate 
of  a  roof. 

Scapus.  The  same  as  Shaft  of  a  column, 
which  see. 

Scarfing.  The  joining  and  bolting  of  two 
pieces  of  timber  together  transversely,  so  that 
the  two  appear  but  as  one. 

Scotia.  The  name  of  a  hollowed  moulding, 
principally  used  between  the  tori  of  the  base  of 
columns. 

Severy,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  separate 
portion  of  a  building. 

Shaft.  That  part  of  a  column  which  is  be- 
tween the  base  and  capital.  It  is  also  called  the 
Fust,  as  well  as  Trunk  of  a  column. 

Shank.  A  name  given  to  the  two  interstical 
spaces  between  the  channels  of  the  triglyph  in 
the  Doric  frieze. 

Shooting.  Planing  the  edge  of  a  board  straight, 
and  out  of  winding. 

Shoulder.  The  plane,  tranverse  to  the  length 
of  a  piece  of  timber  from  which  a  tenon  projects. 

Shutters.  The  boards  or  wainscoting  which 
shut  up  the  aperture  of  a  window. 


108 


GLOSSARY  OF  ARCHITECTURAL  TERMS. 


Sill.  Tlic  timber  or  stone  at  the  foot  of  a 
window  or  door,  the  ground  timbers  of  a  frame 
which  support  the  posts. 

Skirtings.  Tlie  narrow  boards  which  form  a 
plinth  round  the  margin  of  a  floor. 

Socle.  A  square  flat  member,  of  greater 
breadth  than  height,  usually  the  same  as  plinth. 

Sojil.  The  ceiling  or  underside  of  a  member 
in  an  order.  It  means  also  the  underside  of  the 
larmier  or  corona  in  a  cornice  ;  also,  the  under- 
side of  that  part  of  the  architrave  which  does  not 
rest  on  the  columns.     [See  also  Lacunar.] 

Sommer.  The  lintel  of  a  door,  window,  &rc. ; 
a  beam  tenoned  into  a  girder,  to  support  the  ends 
of  joists  on  both  sides  of  it. 

Spandrel,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  the  trian- 
gular space  enclosed  by  one  side  of  an  arch,  and 
two  lines  at  right  angles  to  each  other,  one  hori- 
zontal, and  on  a  level  with  the  apex  of  the  arch, 
the  other  perpendicular,  and  a  continuation  of 
the  line  of  the  jamb. 

Spiral.  A  curve  line  of  a  circular  kind,  which 
in  its  progress  recedes  from  its  centre. 

Steps.     The  degrees  in  ascending  a  staircase. 

Slereobala,  or  Stylobata.  The  same  as  En- 
tasis. 

Strap.  An  iron  plate,  to  secure  the  junction 
of  two  or  more  timbers,  into  which  it  is  secured 
by  bolts. 

Stretching  Course.  Bricks  or  stones  laid  in  a 
wall  with  their  longest  dimensions  in  the  hori- 
zontal line. 

Surbase.  The  mouldings  immediately  above 
the  base  of  a  room. 

Systyle.  An  intercolumniation  equal  to  two 
diameters. 

Table,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  any  surface, 
or  flat  member. 

Tani.  A  term  usually  applied  to  the  lastel 
above  the  architrave  in  the  Doric  order. 

Templet.  A  mould  used  by  brick-layers  and 
masons  for  cutting  or  setting  the  work  ;  a  short 
piece  of  timber  sometimes  laid  under  a  girder. 

Tenon.  A  piece  of  timber  the  thickness  of 
which  is  divided  into  about  three  parts,  the  two 
outside  parts  are  cut  away,  leaving  two  shoulders, 
the  middle  part  projects,  and  being  fitted  to  a 
mortise,  is  usually  termed  a  tenon. 

Terrace  Roofs.  Roofs  which  are  flat  at  the 
top. 

Tetraslyle.  A  building  having  four  columns 
in  front. 


Torus.  A  moulding  of  semi-circular  profile, 
used  in  the  bases  of  columns. 

Tracery,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  term  for 
the  intersection,  in  various  forms,  of  the  mullions 
in  the  head  of  a  window  or  screen. 

Transom,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  cross 
muUion  in  a  window. 

Trefoil,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  an  ornament, 
consisting  of  three  cusps  in  a  circle. 

Triglyph.  The  ornament  of  the  frieze  in  the 
Doric  order,  consisting  of  two  whole  and  two 
half  channels,  sunk  triangularly  on  the  plan. 

Trimens.  Pieces  of  timber  framed  at  right 
angles  with  the  joints  against  the  wall,  for  chim- 
neys, and  well-holes  for  stairs. 

Trimmer.  A  small  beam,  into  which  are 
framed  the  ends  of  several  joists.  The  two  joists 
into  which  each  end  of  the  trimmer  is  framed  are 
called  trimming  joists. 

Trough- Gutter.  A  gutter  below  the  dripping 
eaves,  to  convey  the  water  to  the  pipe  by  which 
it  is  discharged. 

Trunk.  [See  Shaft.]  When  the  word  is  ap- 
plied to  a  pedestal  it  signifies  the  dado  or  die,  or 
body  of  the  pedestal  answering  to  the  shaft  of 
the  column. 

Truss.  When  the  girders  are  very  long,  or 
the  weight  the  floors  are  destined  to  support  is 
very  considerable,  they  are  trussed. 

Tuscan.     One  of  the  orders  of  architecture. 

Tusk.  A  bevel  shoulder,  made  above  a  tenon, 
to  strengthen  it. 

Tympanum.  The  space  enclosed  by  the  cor- 
nice of  the  sloping  sides  of  a  pediment,  and  the 
level  fillet  of  the  corona. 

Vault.  An  arched  roof  so  contrived  that  the 
stones  or  other  materials  of  which  it  is  composed, 
support  and  keep  each  other  in  their  places. 

Vestibule.     An  anti-hall,  lobby,  or  porch. 

Vice,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  a  spiral  stair- 
case. 

Volute.  The  scroll  which  is  appended  to  the 
capital  of  the  Ionic  order. 

Wall-Plates.  Pieces  of  timber  which  are  so 
placed  as  to  form  the  supports  to  the  roof  of  a 
building. 

Well.  The  space  occupied  by  a  flight  of 
stairs:  the  space  left  in  the  middle,  beyond  the 
ends  of  the  stops,  is  called  the  well-hole. 

Zigzag,  (in  Gothic  architecture,)  an  ornament 
so  called  from  its  resemblance  to  the  letter. 


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